


Chloroform

by Em_i_a



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alcohol, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, High School, Mutant Powers, Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-01
Updated: 2018-11-19
Packaged: 2019-02-09 05:14:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 11
Words: 33,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12880908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Em_i_a/pseuds/Em_i_a
Summary: An unlikely friendship blossoms between two teenagers in Hawkins High School.





	1. Rock You Like a Hurricane

 "Tesla! Get up! You're going to be late for school!" I let out a low groan, putting my head under my pillow. _That was my 'adoptive mother' Lina...My own personal alarm clock._  I felt like suffocating myself with the covers that were over my barely clothed body. _I didn't want to go to school, yet I had to. It was my first day at Hawkins High, and unless I really wanted to make a name for myself, the best idea was to go to class and try to go unnoticed._

 "TESS!" Lina yelled at the top of her lungs like she was about to come up to my room and whip something at me. I stood up from my bed and stomped over to the door, quickly opening it.

 "I'm awake!" I replied back, mimicking the volume of her voice, slamming the door. I pushed my fiery red hair out of my view, releasing an angered sigh. I took my thin white shirt off, throwing it into the hamper, which only left me in my boxer shorts. I grabbed my purple and blue striped towel off the hook, wrapping it around myself before stepping out of my room, hearing Lina coming up the stairs. I stopped before entering the washroom, looking over at her, noticing that she was holding a pair of black skin-tight gloves. Her long blonde hair was tied up in a messy bun, and her blue eyes stared directly at me, burning into my soul. 

 "I'm definitely not wearing those." I pointed at them, turning the on light and fan on, a sassy smirk appearing on my face before entering the washroom fully, closing the door behind me.

 "Yes, you are! Remember skin to skin contact is not allowed unless you want to kill someone and get caught by authorities!" She yelled, her voice echoing through the bathroom. I rolled my eyes at her reminder, hanging the towel up onto the rack. I sighed, quickly throwing myself into the shower, turning the cold water on, letting it flow over my completely pale, and almost bloodless body. The water sizzled and steamed around me, as I rushed to wash, feeling the fog begin to build around me like clouds, I began to sweat lightly, signalling that I had to hurry up before I got overheated like a computer. _I wish the cold water would work more often._ I thought to myself while rinsing the shampoo out of my hair, and off my body, before turning off the water. The sizzling sound finally stopped, my body slowly cooling down from the fan's air. I pushed the shower curtain aside, instantly wrapping myself up in the towel before stepping out of the tub, shuffling towards the fogged up mirror. I dragged my hand across my reflection, staring at my scarlet red pupils, _oh fuck._

 "Lina! I need my contacts!" I yelled, clutching the towel against me with one hand. _"Why did I do this? I knew harbouring her was going to be a pain."_ Her voice rang in my head, listening to her rummaging around in the desk on the main level, where she literally kept everything. 

 "Well, that was your choice! Not mine!" I howled, hearing her coming up the wooden stairs. I leaned onto the counter looking at the large bags under my eyes, stopping just above where my freckles began. As I was fixated on my reflection Lina pushed open the door, causing me to jump up into the air.

 "Jesus Christ, care to knock next time, you nearly gave me a heart attack!" I exclaimed, Lina groaned, entering the washroom dressed in a blue dress shirt, and grey dress pants, _her usual work attire._

"Poor you." She murmured, handing me the contact case, being very cautious when placing the green and white container into my palm. I quickly popped them into my eyes, covering up the scarlet colour. Lina glared over at her reflection, quickly undoing her tight bun, letting her unruly hair come down over her shoulders. I sighed, fluffing my red wavy locks a little before exiting the bathroom, leaving her to get ready for work. I made my way to my room, closing the door behind me, noticing the gloves laying on my unmade bed. _Oh for the love of God._ I ran my hands through my damp hair, walking towards my closet, pulling open the dark wooden doors, the scent of Poison by Christian Dior hitting me directly in the face. I let out a little 'oomph' covering my nose at the strong odor, as I reached my other hand out gripping a dark blue short sleeved button up, and a white tank top that I could wear under it, placing it on the bed beside the gloves so I didn't forget to put them on. I peered over my shoulder, seeing a pair of high waisted shorts in my peripheral vision. _It's probably cold outside, I don't think it's a good idea to wear shorts to school, people will think you're weird. **If you don't wear the shorts you'll probably end up overheating then burning the whole school down, then you'll be a burning weirdo...Choose your options wisely.**_

 My internal monologue of questions to myself ended with me choosing to wear the shorts to school, which was probably the best idea. In a very fast manner, I threw off my now damp towel and grabbed a pair of boxer shorts, swiftly pulling them up my smooth pale legs, letting them slap against the skin of my hips, wincing a little at the sting. I pulled on my bra, then threw the white tank top over my head, adjusting it as much as I could so it was covering my cleavage, _don't want to attract any hormonal high school guys on the first day of school._ I lifted up my shorts, eyeing the length of them to see if they were appropriate enough. I gave a light shrug, pulling them over my boxers, shoving the bottom of my shirt into the waistband, quickly zipping the zipper and buttoning the shorts up. I turned around to look at myself in the mirror, noticing my pack of cigarettes sitting on the table in front of it, _thank goodness, I can't go to school without one of those._ I picked up the box, shoving it into my back pocket before returning to my closet, taking my white roller skates out from the corner, breathing in deeply, the fresh leathery scent radiating off of them. I smiled to myself, standing from my kneeled position, as I collected my black Chuck Taylor's shoving them into my nearly empty backpack, _which only contained one binder prior to the shoes joining._ After gathering the last of my items, which consisted of the gym uniform,  _because I knew for a fact that I had gym,_ some pencils, _because I also knew for a fact I had to write notes,_ and my lighter, _cause I'm definitely not going to light my cigarettes without a lighter,_ I finally made my way out of my room, my backpack perched on my shoulder, the roller skates hanging loosely on the shoulder straps, as I hopped around the hallway, attempting to balance while I put my blue ankle socks on. I rushed down the stairs, noticing Lina at the front door, granola bar, and vitamins in hand. 

 "Got your gloves?" She asked, holding my breakfast away from me, I brought them out of my pocket holding them out in front of her, waving them almost like a signal, slipping them on over my hands slightly annoyed. She handed me the granola bar, and upon further investigation, I noticed that she had wrapped a ten dollar bill around it. _No wonder she wanted me to put the gloves on...It could've turned into ash if it touched my palm, and there was no way I was going to risk the money._ I placed the money in my back pocket, and took a seat on the bottom step, quickly sliding my feet into my roller skates. 

 "Have a good first day. I'll be home at eight." Lina informed, giving me a light pat on my shoulder, placing the vitamins into my hand before exiting the house without another word. I stood up, sliding across the hardwood floor towards the door, the wheels gliding across like a feather. I took the house keys off the hook, placing them into the side pocket of my backpack, as I popped the vitamins into my mouth, dry swallowing them, feeling like they might get stuck in my throat by accident. I sighed, unwrapping the granola bar, placing it in between my teeth, gripping the doorknob while I pushed myself back to open the door. The cool air flowed through my damp fiery red hair causing my teeth to clatter, _maybe you should've dried your hair._ I leaned back a bit, checking the time on the old grandfather clock that stood tall and looming against the wall of the living room, _school was at 8:30, and it is currently 8:10, I definitely do not have time, but at least I know for the future._ I rolled out of the house, closing the door behind me, locking the padlock, as well as the regular lock, before stepping onto the lawn, quickly walking down it so I didn't have to risk taking the stairs.

Once I made it onto the sidewalk, that's when I began to push myself forward, gaining speed each time I put one skate in front of the other. It wasn't long until I got into the colourful and busy vicinity of Hawkins High, my eyes scanning over the several, scattered groups of girls whispering among themselves, some giggles being heard. _And I was only a couple feet away from the parking lot...Which only meant that my brain would probably be exploding once I got closer._ I slid into the parking lot of the school, going up the tilted concrete, feeling plenty of eyes on me. _Most of them belonged to girls._ Instantly I threw my attention to them, scanning the aura's that surrounded them, _two are orange, which meant that they were social, and gregarious souls and the other girl bared a red aura, meaning that she was enthusiastic, **definitely not about me,** as well as energetic. _I made a mental note, giving them a little bit of a stare down as I made my way to the front doors.

 Suddenly the all too familiar sound of Scorpion's Rock You Like a Hurricane blasted through the parking lot, causing me to turn around to see where the hell it was coming from. A blue Camaro, with a California license plate, pulled into a parking spot, and right away my mind solved the mystery of where Rock You Like a Hurricane was coming from. The music definitely gained a lot of attention from everyone who was outside, yet when the passenger door opened and a young, pale, redheaded girl, with a bright pink aura surrounding her, stepped out of the car everyone seemed to have stopped looking, _with the exception of me, three other girls, and a couple that was in the parking lot._ The girl sauntered off on her skateboard, making her way to the middle school casually as if she didn't have a care in the world, but deep down I could see worry within her. My attention turned back to the car, the driver side door opening. 

 The male figure stood up from the seat, a blonde, flowing mullet being seen before he turned around to face the other way, his stare meeting mine. He slowly pulled the cigarette out of his mouth, blowing the smoke into the air around him, a small smirk coming up on his face. I couldn't help but stare right back at him, the name Billy Hargrove ran through my head, my eyes watching him casually close the door behind him and flick his cigarette off to the side, breaking the eye contact we had, while proceeding to walk down the sidewalk towards the school. He wore all denim with a white shirt under the jean jacket, his black shoes scraping against the pavement as he walked. It was like he didn't notice that he had garnered a whole audience, _mostly consisting of girls,_ who were staring at him. The black aura that surrounded him screamed danger to me, _a huge warning to stay the hell away from him._

 "Who is that?" One girl asked, a smirk drawn on her face, looking over at her friend for an answer, who was staring at him, like she didn't hear the girl's question. There was a little pause until an answer was given.

 "I have no idea...But would you check out that ass? Just look at it go." She exclaimed _I've never heard someone get so excited about someone's ass before._ I took a quick glance, at the girls, before pushing myself towards the door again, ignoring their remarks pertaining to his backside. I pulled open the door, gliding into the large hallway of the school. _The best thing about the fall season was that everyone was wearing long-sleeved shirts or sweaters, so if I did accidentally run into them there wouldn't be any skin to skin contact._ I ducked around a few people, making my way to the attendance office to get my locker number and schedule. The school seemed packed, a sea of colour blazing into my eyes. There were so many different aura's clouded together that it made my brain seize up, and hurt from a pounding headache, _I couldn't wait to get into the office just so I could have a break before enduring this for the rest of the day._ A large bold sign read _'Attendance'_ which gave me the only indication I needed to go in. A lady sat at the large wooden desk, her freckled face hidden behind large red pop bottle glasses, her green eyes magnified behind the glass. Her dark brown hair was tied off to the side, and heavily teased, and her eye makeup was bright, _especially her lips stick, which could be compared to a pink highlighter._  When her eyes settled on me and she smiled a pink stain rested on her tooth, _I guess she didn't notice._

"Hello. How may I help you?" Her voice was coated in false happiness, she may have looked happy on the outside, but as I stared within her eyes I could see how sad and distraught she was, even her aura almost tricked me when it was shining a bright green haze around her. I returned a smile to her.

 "Um...My name is Tesla Forsberg, I'm new, I just wanted to pick up my schedule and locker number." She nodded, opening her desk drawer up, sorting through some of her files, before pulling out a single piece of white paper, handing it to me.

 "Do you have a lock for your locker?" I nodded, tapping the front pocket of my backpack, indicating that it was in there. 

 "Alright. You have a good day Tesla." I smiled back at her.

 "You too...Feel better." I felt like I would've been caught up in a conversation about how I knew she didn't feel well, but I rolled out of the office before she could say anything. I glanced down at my schedule, seeing that I had gym first period, lunch second, Biology third, English fourth, and a spare fifth. _It didn't seem like a stressful semester on paper, but I was going to the class almost a month into the curriculum, so it was definitely going to be hard to play catch up._ My shoulder slammed into another person, snapping me out of my thoughts as I fell onto my ass. 

 "Holy shit! Oh god, I'm sorry!" The guy said, my eyes looked up from the ground seeing a young man with a very loose mullet, a few pieces of his brown locks hanging over his eye, _probably from us slamming into each other._  I noticed that he was holding a hand out to me, his brown pupils boring into mine, I ignored it turning onto my knees.

 "Oookay then." He murmured as I stood up, fixing my top a little. My eyes went back up to his, when I heard him clear his throat, "I'm Steve Harrington...And you..." He motioned to the schedule I was holding, "Must be new." I raised my eyebrows.

 "Wow, how did you come down to that conclusion?" I said sarcastically under my breath, manoeuvring around him swiftly, "See you around Steve." I added, ducking around people as I made my way to my locker, not giving him enough time to even catch my name. I came to a sudden stop noticing the number popping out at me. I opened it up quickly, looking at the clock behind me, seeing that I only had three minutes to change into my normal shoes. I bent down untying the roller skates, slipping them off my feet, throwing them into the bottom half of my locker, taking my Chuck Taylor's out of my bag. I double knotted the bright white shoelaces, hopping back up to my feet just as the bell rang. I took out my lock and claimed the locker. I changed in the washroom, pulling on the pair of green shorts and matching 'Hawkins Phys Ed' t-shirt, rushing into the air-conditioned gymnasium as quickly as I could. 

 "Oh, Tesla we were just talking about how late you would be." _What a way to be greeted._ I gave the teacher a small smile.

 "It's Tess." I corrected, putting my bag on the bleachers, turning around noticing that everyone was looking at me, _mostly the guys, the girls couldn't care less._  

 Gym class ended as soon as it started. Most of the girls sat on the bench, and it seemed like I was the only one actually participating by running laps around the gym, as the guys did various exercises like push ups, sit ups, the usual. The bell rang for lunch, all of us scurrying out in many separate groups yet they were all going to the change rooms, whilst I, on the other hand, made my way to the washroom so they would clear out so I would be able to take a nice cold shower alone.

 After changing out of my gym clothes I made my way outside to the smokers patio, craving a cigarette after running around for an hour and fifteen minutes straight. I pushed open the door, the cool fall air hitting my face instantly. I dug into my back pocket, taking out my pack of cigarettes, noticing that there was only one left and it was broken in half, probably from when I took my roller skates off.

 "Oh for fuck sake," I grunted, crushing the cardboard in my hand, throwing it out into the garbage. I heard a light laugh coming from the end of the walkway, seeing Billy leaning against the wall, a cigarette hanging loosely between his lips, as he pushed off the wall, coming towards me, his free hand in his pocket. He took a long drag, pulling the cigarette away from his mouth, blowing the smoke in my direction.

 "You're Tesla right?" He asked, pointing at me with the lit end of the cigarette. His voice was deep and booming, resonating within my chest. 

 "It's Tess..." I corrected, watching him take his pack out of his pocket, opening up the cover, a small smirk drawn on his face. He held the pack out to me, motioning for me to take one, which I willingly did. 

 "Thanks." I murmured, taking my black metal lighter out of the side pocket of my bag, feeling his blue eyes burning into my face. _What a mystery._ He said within his head. I lit the end of the cigarette, instantly breathing in the nicotine, my lungs soaking it up, relieving the cravings that I was experiencing. I glanced up at him, meeting his curious gaze, I raised my eyebrows at him, pulling the cigarette out of my mouth.

 "What are you looking at?" I asked blowing the white smoke into his face, as he leaned against the brick wall behind him, pointing at the gloves.

 "Why?" I pressed, he gave a small shrug.

 "Because only people that wear gloves during gym class have something to hide." He stated accusingly. I shrugged, the both of us taking a long drag from our cigarettes. I opened my mouth letting the smoke flow freely into the air, watching it evaporate.

 "And why is that any of your business?" I shot back, crossing my arms. A small smirk appeared on his face as he flicked the end of the cigarette out of his grip.

 "It isn't, I just like getting involved in things that don't concern me." _This guy was a smart ass._ He pushed off of the wall, holding out his hand

 "I'm-."

 "Billy...I know." He raised his eyebrows at my interruption, and lowered his hand, knowing that I wouldn't shake it

 "Are you stalking me or something?" I shook my head, breathing out little o's of smoke into the air.

 "Nope. You're just in my gym class." _Even though I knew his name before gym class._ I noticed his face go into a light blush colour.

 "Oh...Well then...Guess you're not stalking me...Too bad." He muttered, walking towards the door to go back in the school. He quickly opened it, and before returning back into the busy atmosphere he turned back around.

 "By the way...You look really hot in those roller skates." He winked, a large smile appearing on his face, leaving my sight right after that little compliment. I felt my face heat up as I slowly finished my cigarette, _I guess I have an admirer now._


	2. The Diner

 Once period four was done and over with, I made my way back to my locker to collect my things, ducking by some students who loitered around the hallways. There were rumours going around about some sort of party that was happening on Halloween, yet I didn't quite hear who was throwing it. _Not that I would want to go anyways._  

 "Hey! Y'know I never really caught your name." Steve's voice echoed from behind me. I made an abrupt stop at my locker causing him to bump into my side. _The guy was in my gym class for god sake._

__ "It's Tess." I murmured, pulling open my lock, glancing at him out of the corner of my eye, seeing that he was holding his hand out. I turned my body to him, raising an eyebrow.

 "For a formal introduction since we got off to a slightly awkward start." I sighed, quickly shaking his hand before untying my Chuck Taylors.

 "You know...I can give you a ride home if you want. It would be no trouble...It's pretty cold outside." He informed me, as I shoved my shoes into my bag, taking my roller skates out of the locker.

 "Are you the weatherman?" I shot back, slipping on the skates, tying them up tightly.

 "Haha...Very funny...But really, are you sure you don't want a ride?" I nodded, throwing my bag over my shoulder, almost hitting him in the process, before closing my locker, and skating off into the long crowded halls. I exited the school, avoiding the parked cars and gazes, rolling freely onto the sidewalk. The wind rushed through my hair, the sun blazing on my naturally warm skin, as my stomach began to grumble. _I better go get some food._ I continued to skate, looking at my surroundings, scanning the city through my brain for the nearest diner. Suddenly I heard a car horn honk from behind me, nearly causing me to lose my balance and fall on my ass. 

 "Hey, Newbie. Aren't you cold?" _Billy._ I stopped myself from moving, turning my body to face him, seeing him leaning to the side, speaking out of the passenger side window. I looked down at my clothes.

 "First off, don't call me Newbie cause you're one as well, and second I'm not cold...In all honesty, I'm very hot." I replied, staring at him through the window as he chewed on a piece of gum loudly, his eyebrows raising slightly at this comment.

 "Yes, you are." He agreed, his eyes roaming my outfit, causing me slight discomfort, I watched as his hand reached up and gripped the steering wheel "Anyways...I just wanted to grab your attention to ask if you wanted a ride, I know an amazing diner that you might like." He commented, a coy smile appearing on his face. I crossed my arms over my chest, squinting at him, hearing his inner voice.  **Come on Newbie...The diner line always works.** I cocked my head to the side, tuning out of his thoughts while I leaned on the door of the car.

 "What makes you think that diner line would work on me?" I retorted hearing a loud gulp echo through my ears, a look of shock appearing on his face. I could tell that he was trying to hold back the light red blush that was slowly bursting out onto his cheeks, he didn't comment, so we were basically left staring at each other in silence. **How the fuck did she know about the line?** I could hear his mind yell. The only thing breaking my concentration was the loud grumbling of my stomach. Billy smirked, my gaze tearing off of his to avert my eyes to my stomach. _I think I will melt into the ground before I got to the nearest diner...If I don't eat soon I'll be the sun by four today._ The consequences of not eating played through my mind, with the one resolution of giving in to Billy's offer of a ride. _What harm could getting into a car do?_ I sighed.

 "On second thought...I think that diner option sounds pretty tempting." I murmured. Instantly the passenger door unlocked, causing me to jump back and nearly fall, my heart beating against my chest, my body almost going into defence mode. _I was so used to being on edge that little things like unlocking a fucking door made me jump._

"You okay there Newbie?" Billy questioned, my head immediately bobbing up and down as I opened the passenger door, and slid my bag off my shoulders. I could feel his eyes glued to me, watching my body shift in the seat so my skin wasn't touching the leather beneath me. "You nervous or something?" _No, Billy, I'm not nervous, I just don't want to melt the seat of your beloved car._ I shook my head, glancing down at my roller skates. The car smelled of cigarettes and heavy cologne, my nose twitched at the scent, my body slowly relaxing at the familiar smell. 

 "Alright then. Let's go to that diner." He placed the car in drive, pressing his foot down on the gas, causing the blue Camaro to speed down the street, his hand reaching for the volume knob, turning up ACDC's Back in Black. I could feel his eyes on me for a moment, then they went back to the road.

 "What's with the gloves?" _I knew he was going to ask me that. It seems like it's been a reoccurring question._ I shrugged, trying my best to hide them under my legs.

 "I like wearing them..." I replied casually, _the most obvious answer that I could give._ I looked over at him, seeing his lips turned up with a smirk.

 "Yeah...I hope you like wearing them, but it's really weird that you wore them during gym class, do you have something to hide or something?" _Oh, way more than you think Billy, way more._

 "Nope. I just like wearing them." He raised his eyebrows a little and nodded, _I guess he was content with the answer._ We arrived at the diner a few minutes that little conversation. Billy swiftly pulled into a parking spot and took the keys out of the ignition.

 "Let's get in there Newbie...I'm craving a cigarette and a milkshake." He informed, the both of us stepping out of his car. I nearly slipped and fell due to the roller skates that I still had on, but I managed to gain my balance, closing the door behind me. Billy was already halfway across the parking lot, looking back at me as I pushed myself towards him, the wheels going over a few pebbles easily. He clenched his jaw, and his eyes followed me while I rolled by him towards the door. The both of us entered the crowded atmosphere, _mostly consisting of officers and locals on their lunches._ We took a seat at a red, cushioned booth, the both of us on each side. A woman, who looked to be about forty placed two menus in front of us, her bright red lips turned up with a toothy smile, her gaze travelling from me to Billy. She held a notepad in one hand, and a pen in the other, dressed in her teal uniform, _it looked pretty old fashioned, but I somewhat enjoyed the vintage look._

 "Anything I can get you two?" I looked over at Billy who was taking two cigarettes out of his pocket, motioning for me to go first. I took a quick peek at the menu and raised my eyes back up to the woman.

 "I'll have a chocolate milkshake, grilled cheese, and fries." The woman raised her eyebrows, staring at my frail, thin figure, hesitantly writing my order down on her notepad. **Wow...Must be from another planet.** _Oh yes Patty, yes I am_. I glanced up at Billy noticing that he had the same expression on his face, his lips turning into a small smirk. **A girl that can eat, even though she looks a hundred pounds soaking wet.** I mentally slapped myself, scolding my brain for intruding on his thoughts. _I am not a hundred pounds soaking wet!_

 "I think I'm just going to have a coke and fries..." I placed the cigarette between my lips, tapping my shorts for my lighter, which wasn't there. I shot my eyes up to Billy who was already taking his out of his chest pocket. He ignited the flame, bringing it towards me, lighting the end of my cigarette. I immediately breathed in, the nicotine doused smoke filling my lungs, a wave of relief washing over me. The waitress smiled, collecting the menus in her arms, cradling them, before walking away from the table. I sat back, my eyes scanning over Billy's relaxed posture, watching the smoke flow out of his mouth freely, his tongue gliding over his teeth in one swift sweep. I tore my eyes from his mouth, glaring back up into his mesmerizing stare. That black aura was surrounding him, yet his mind was open widely, small tidbits of his obscure thoughts hitting me in small surges. _It felt like a dark hole that I did not want to fall into, but at the same time I wanted to explore, I wanted to know more._ I physically had to shake myself out of the focus that had been super glued to him. I took my cigarette out of my mouth, blowing the smoke off to the side. I felt my stomach growl loudly, the sound only being compared to some sort of sea monster's mating call. A small chuckle fell from Billy's mouth, his hand raising to scratch the side of his nose. 

 "Have you been starving yourself or something, your stomach sounds like it's going to open up and swallow the whole diner." He joked, motioning to me in general. I rolled my eyes.

 "No...I just didn't feel well enough to eat during lunch, but now I feel a little better." He raised his eyebrows, **Bull.** His mental voice echoed in my head, causing me to flinch, _Jesus Christ, there's nothing like being deafened by someone's mental voice._ I placed the cigarette between my lips again, breathing in heavily, closing my eyes at the natural warmth it brought me.

 "Are you going to Tina's Halloween party?" I nearly choked on the smoke that I was inhaling just by him mentioning a party to me, the sound of me coughing loudly, and wheezing as the thick grayish-white air surrounded me. I waved it out of my face, catching my breath quickly, composing myself. Once again Billy's eyebrows were raised, his eyes full of concern from the little coughing fit that just occurred. I coughed one last time in my hand, pulling it away from my mouth, instantly noticing a hole in the glove. _Mother of God._ I moved my hand down onto my lap, hiding it so Billy couldn't see what I had done. I opened my mouth, prepared to give him a reply, but got interrupted by Patty bringing us our drinks, the large chocolate shake being slid into my line of sight. I leaned forward, taking a quick sip of the chocolaty goodness that was before me. I avoided touching the glass, afraid of him seeing the hole in my glove, as well as being scared of creating the risk of it exploding due to the heat of my hands. I leaned back and sighed.

 "In all honesty, I would never want to go to a party." I replied, staring at the brown shake. 

 "And why's that?" He pressed, shifting his body forward. I flicked my eyes up to him and shrugged.

 "I don't know...It's just complete bull shit. A party is just an excuse for teenagers to have sex in someone else's house without their parents finding out. Which is totally gross and wrong in so many ways. I just don't want to get involved with all that stuff." I was somewhat telling the truth when it came to this. It wasn't like I didn't want to go to a party, and feel normal for once, but there were so many factors to it that scared me, especially when it came to my _abilities._ I didn't want someone else to get hurt because I drank a little too much, hence the reason I didn't want to go to this party. _The whole sex thing was pretty much made up off the top of my head, but it was still a pretty good argument now that I think about it._

"So what you're trying to say is, you don't want to be a normal teenager." He assumed. I rolled my eyes, taking a sip of the cool liquid before taking a long drag, _holding the cigarette with the gloved hand that didn't have a hole in it._

 "When did having sex become the definition of being a normal teenager?" I shot back, the smoke being released from my mouth. Before Billy could reply, Patty brought our food over to us, placing two baskets of fries in front of us, and my grilled cheese beside it. She gave one last smile, proceeding to walk away. I put out my cigarette, and slid my gloves off putting them on the table, 

 "It's not like I'm saying 'Come to the party so you can have sex' I'm just saying that you should come, instead of being all strict." My eyebrows furrowed.

 "I'm not strict!" I exclaimed, taking a large bite out of the buttery grilled sandwich. He laughed lightly, putting out his cigarette as well, picking up one of his fries.

 "Well..If you don't come to the Halloween party I will continue to think you're strict." He used the crispy fry to point at me, before placing it into his mouth and chewing "You don't even have to have sex! Or drink." He added. 

 "Yeah sure..." I murmured, taking another bite of the sandwich. He squinted at me, placing another fry into his mouth, chewing slowly. I mimicked him, squinting back. 

 "You're one big mystery aren't you Tesla?" I shook my head, a smirk appearing on my lips. 

 "Nope. I'm a completely open book." I replied, fiddling with the fries in the basket. His eyes glanced down at my forearm.

 "What's with the number fourteen then? If you're such an open book." I looked down at the tattoo that was strategically placed on my skin, my face immediately heating up.

 "Favorite number." I blurted out, shoving some fries into my mouth as if I was trying to silence myself before I slipped up. 

 "So you decided to get it tattooed on yourself?" He questioned, I shrugged and nodded, "You really are something else entirely." He added. His little comment echoed through the depths of my head, reminding me of the labs. _The dark days of being known a weapon of mass destruction and being locked in barely lit rooms with no noise because I was 'something else entirely'...I was special when I didn't even want to be._  In the moment of silence, I wondered if anyone apart from me made it out of those labs safely, _or was I the only one left?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOOOOOOOW it's been a while! I'm so sorry. I've been working on college applications, and several other works apart from this one, but I'm glad that I was able to push this thing out. I'm sorry it took so long! I hope it isn't too boring, I tried to make it a little more interesting but the next chapter will definitely be better. Happy New Year BTW!


	3. Great Balls of Fire

 "Tesla! I'm going out tonight with a few work friends, and I probably won't be back until the morning. If you're going anywhere remember to wear your gloves and lock the door. Also be careful! Love you bye!" Lina yelled, slamming the door behind her, not giving me enough time to reply. I let out a small sigh, standing up from my bed, closing the Biology textbook that I had been reading for the past hour and a half. My eyes glanced over at the alarm clock, the bright red numbers dawning the time. 6:22. Billy was going to pick me up at eight for that Halloween party, which he somehow convinced me to go to, so that meant I had about an hour and a half to get ready and dressed in my costume. I stretched my arms out and up, listening to my bones crack and pop, before letting out a small sigh, making my way out of my bedroom towards the bathroom, quickly taking my shirt and shorts off. I took a quick glance at myself in the mirror before turning on the shower and letting my hair fall from the loose bun I had it up in.

 I felt sick, and I wasn't entirely up for the party, but I promised Billy that I would be designated driver, since I was kind of afraid to say no to him, he was quite intimidating, and even though I could set him on fire, I was still scared of him for some unknown reason. Maybe it was because of how much he reminded me of Brenner, and he had a vibe of authority to him like he demanded respect through the act of being tough. **Or maybe it was the fact he almost hit a couple of kids on bikes today.** I had many temptations to rake through his mind, to find out why he acted this way. Sometimes he had anger outbursts especially with his step-sister Max. I twisted the cold water knob, ridding myself of the remaining undergarments that I had, placing them on the counter of the sink. I slid into the harsh stream of water, letting it cleanse my mind, steam beginning to cloud around me almost immediately, the sounds of the water sizzling on my skin filling the bathroom. I want to know what is wrong with him, and I have no idea why I do. He's the only person that I have been able to get along with in the slightest, apart from the very few conversations that I've had with Steve and Nancy. I picked up the florally scented bar, running the soap over the unseeable raised scars that were as pale as my skin. They held many memories that I didn't even dare to think about, it was in the past, and I just had to live with them. I let out a light huff, turning around to let the water run down my back, the sizzling echoing off the walls of the bathroom, my nails dragging across my skin, the steam causing my hair to stick to my face. Suddenly I heard a knock coming from the front door, my brain instantly scanning the house. The all too familiar black aura was invading my senses. Why the fuck is Billy here already? I turned the water off, squeezing my hair out, before getting out of the tub, wrapping a towel tightly around myself. The remaining water droplets on my skin evaporating from the heat that my body was providing, as I rushed to the bathroom door and exited into the hallway, almost falling down the stairs in the process. I unlocked the door, clutching the towel against me tightly with my other hand. I peeked through the small crack, seeing Billy in a leather jacket that was fully open, exposing his bare, muscular chest and abs, his arm resting on the frame of the door. He raised his eyebrows, his eyes scanning over my barely covered body, a smirk plastered on his face.

 "Wow...You could just ask to sleep with me. You don't have to give me these undeniable signs." He joked, his eyes still trailing over my body as if his brain was recording this very moment. I moved out of the way to let him into the house, trying to hide behind the door so he would just stop looking at me. 

 "Why are you here so early? You said you would pick me up at eight." I complained, walking by him to go back upstairs to my room since I did not want to be talking to him with only a towel covering me.

 "I said the party starts at eight. I thought we could go visit the diner before we went." He yelled, proposing the unknown plan to me, while I entered my room, closing the door behind me. 

 "Well, I guess we have to go to the diner now. I'm not going to send you home so that you can pick me back up again." I slid the towel off my body, placing it on my unmade bed. 

 "I sure hope not...I'm not wasting more than half a tank of gas tonight." He exclaimed as I dug through my dresser, picking up a pair of tight high waisted shorts, a black and white pair of underwear, and a thick tank top. I slid all the articles of clothing over my bare body, tucking the shirt into the waistband of the shorts. I quickly threw my green army jacket over my shoulders, letting it fall over the white top, my eyes trailing over to my reflection. Shockingly, I looked decent for once. I smirked at myself, sliding open my closet, pulling out a shoe box that contained my black leather boots, I inhaled the soft leathery scent, releasing a sigh. I took them out and slid them onto my feet, tying them up quickly before standing back up from the carpeted floor of my bedroom. Suddenly a loud crash echoed through the entire house, nearly making me jump to the sky, and smash through the roof. I exited my room quickly, running down the wooden steps, seeing a guilty look drawn across Billy’s face. 

 “I broke your vase.” He informed, scratching the back of his neck. I squinted at him, looking over at the shattered ceramic that scattered across the floor, the flowery pattern, cracked and separated. I glanced over at the pedestal that it used to be on, then brought my eyes back to Billy.

 “How did you even manage to do that?” I asked, motioning to the shattered pieces. He shrugged.

 “Knocked it over by accident…” His eyes began tracking over my outfit, the blue orbs stopping at my high waisted shorts. “…You’re looking…” He paused his tongue grazing over his teeth, a smirk appearing on his lips. I raised my eyebrows and snapped my fingers.

 “Put that tongue back into your mouth.” I murmured, walking over to the pile of broken ceramic, picking it up with my bare hands, watching it slowly crack from the extreme heat at the tip of my fingertips. 

 “I was going to say you’re looking sexy.” I peeked over my shoulder, squinting at him, my cheeks automatically turning red from the compliment. _This wasn't even close to being preventable_

 “Yeah, thanks…” I got up with the ceramic in hand, dropping the shards into the garbage. _Lina will be happy that it’s finally broken, I was the only advocate of keeping the thing._ I stood up straight and let out a sigh, clapping my bare hands together. 

 "I'm going to grab my gloves quickly then we can head out." I announced, Billy's eyes following me as I walked by him.

 "You know...It's Halloween." I stopped for a moment, glancing over my shoulder, my eyebrows raised.

 "And...?" He shrugged.

 "I don't know. Maybe you should lose the gloves for tonight. You don't have any reason to be wearing them in the first place." He grumbled, while I closed the cabinet and grabbed my keys off the hook, putting them into my pocket before releasing a small sigh. 

 "The less you know, the better Billy." I replied, rushing up the stairs, retrieving the pair of black velvet gloves, sliding them over my pale hands, returning to the main level in record time.

 "Let's go goof." I pointed at the door watching him swiftly exit the house. I glanced around the house one last time, scanning the entirety of it, reassuring myself that everything was locked. I joined Billy outside, the fresh fall air rushing over my legs, a satisfying shiver creeping up my body, a smirk appearing on my face as we made our way towards Billy's blue Camaro. 

 We got our usual seat at the diner and ordered our typical meals. The both of us placed our packs of cigarettes on the dark wooden table that had several names carved into it that I never noticed before. _Carol and Tommy H specifically._ Our meals were brought to us in record time, the both of us eating in silence. Then we were on our way to the party right after. The night began to dawn on us slowly, the sun slowly starting to go down as we made our way to Tina's house. Billy parked in front of the house on the side of the street, placing the car into park. Billy released a small sigh, unbuckling his seat belt.

 "If you feel uncomfortable just come and find me. I'll be around." He spoke protectively, contrasted with a harsh manner. I nodded quickly, unbuckling my seatbelt as well, exiting the car swiftly. The chilly wind blew by me yet again, the gust running up my legs causing goosebumps. The party was already roaring; through the open windows, people were moving around to the music that vibrated through the atmosphere. Billy ran into the house and got engulfed with a mixture of girls and guys, _leaning more towards the girls though._ I looked around at the night sky that was now pitch black accented with a few stars and the full moon. My muscles tensed, my stomach going into knots, _I have an awful feeling about this party. **I couldn't tell Billy this though, or else he would end up calling me a square.** I better push this into the back of my mind and just focus on letting loose a little bit. _

 "I want to set myself on fire and melt into the concrete." I murmured to myself, before sliding my hands into the deep pockets of my army jacket, shuffling up the long driveway of Tina's house. I decided not to make my way through the entire home, and just go into the backyard, where a crowd of people surrounded the drinks. _Or the beer at least._ I passed by a few people, peeking over peoples shoulders, only to find Billy doing a keg stand. _He can't resist, can he?_ I don't know how long he was doing this for, but I had a moment of sheer confusion as to how the hell he was breathing without choking on the beer. _It was pretty impressive._ A smirk fell upon my lips, watching him land on his feet, and spit out a mouth full of the alcohol, letting out a loud, manly scream. Everyone that surrounded him celebrated with him, but like before, I was confused, _what was the point in celebrating something that didn't ****matter._

 "KEG KING! KEG KING! KEG KING!" The crowd cheered, some of the guys following behind him. He passed me, my eyes catching a glance at his now beer soaked chest and the fierce look in his eyes. The sound of his 'woo's'echoing through the whole backyard. People followed him into the house, but I stayed outside, just listening to Tommy H introducing Billy to Steve Harrington, informing him that Billy just dethroned 'The Keg King.' _I'm assuming it was Steve._ The smell of beer stung my nose as I walked around the keg, towards one of the tables that were set up accompanied by a couple of chairs. I took a seat, sitting back against the flimsy plastic. _God, I hate the whole idea of parties. **Maybe if I burst into flames they will all clear out and leave,**_ _there would be too many causalities though, I can't control them well enough to not harm someone by accident._ I let out a loud sigh, looking through the sliding glass door, closing my eyes slowly. _Just let me disappear._

_Suddenly darkness surrounded me, my head shooting back and forth until I heard the soft, familiar voice of the young girl that I had known within the depths of the labs._

_"Fourteen?" Her breathy voice called out, my body turning around, facing where the sound was coming from._

_"Eleven?" I murmured in shock, looking at her curly brown locks, similar to Ripley from Alien. I wasn't the only one left. I wasn't a lone survivor. Her young, now youthful eyes looked up at me, a blank expression drawn on her face._

_"Where are you? Where can I fin-."_

"Tess! Tess!" Steve's voice brought me out of the trance, his hand shaking my clothed shoulder. I shook my head back and forth violently, feeling his hand pull off of me. 

 "You okay?" He asked slowly, his voice croaking slightly as if he was about to cry. I glared up at him, noticing his eyes flooding with tears. 

 "I'm fine...But you don't look alright. What's wrong?" He sniffled, wiping his nose with the back of his hand, his brown hair falling in front of his eyes. He shook his head back and forth, releasing a frustrated sigh.

  _"It's bullshit." Nancy's voice rang in my head._

_"You...You don't love me?" Steve's voice is struggling to make out the words._

_"It's...Bullshit." She replied._

_Jesus Christ Nancy, you're one mean drunk._ I sighed.

 "Let me take a guess...You and Nancy got into a fight?" He groaned, taking a seat beside me.

 "You know, she was completely flat out drunk, I was just trying to monitor her drinking. I accidentally let go of this blood red drink, and it just splashed all over her. Then she was calling everything bullshit, and I knew deep down within her mind, she didn't love me, her words solidified that thought tonight." _He seemed hurt, but judging by the fact it was a high school relationship, I wasn't expecting it to last too much longer. No offence to Steve but he was oblivious to the fact that Nancy has feelings for Jonathan, and to be brutally honest it wasn't that hard to notice. **My abilities weren't needed for that assumption.**_

__ "You'll get over it...First love hurts." I pulled out my pack of cigarettes, taking one out of it, placing it between my lips. 

 "Please tell me you're not in love with that asshole Billy Hargrove." I chuckled, searching for my light in my chest pocket. 

 "No. I've just heard people say that about love. Do you have a light?" He shook his head.

 "I didn't bring a pack, sorry." I rolled my eyes and stood up. 

 "I'll be right back." I briskly walked away, hoping that he didn't notice my exit through the second fence, which led to an array of elm trees. _I think he was too busy dawning on his most recent heartbreak._ I slid my glove off, cigarette still stuck between my lips, as I closed my eyes, enclosing my hand around the end of the nicotine stick. A flame igniting it, immediately I drew a breath in, pulling my hot hand away from the bud. I used my free hand to take the cigarette out of my mouth, letting out a cloud of smoke. I opened my eyes, staring at the flame that engulfed my pale white flesh. I smiled to myself.

 "Holy shit!" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jesus. It's been a while. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Sorry, it took so long to update this, I had exams, and midterms, I hope it was worth the wait though. I would love to know what you guys think about it.


	4. Caught

 I closed my hand into a fist quickly, extinguishing the flame that had lit my skin minutes before. My body turned towards where the voice was coming from, only to find Steve standing there with a dumbfounded and horrified look on his face. Instantly I dropped my cigarette to the ground. 

 “Holy shit.” He repeated, running his hands through his thick hair, he inhaled a deep breath "Jesus Christ." He added, clutching his chest as if he was having a panic attack.

 "Steve. Calm down." I warned, my hands in front of me, as I walked up to him slowly. His mouth dropped open slightly, moving back with each step I took, his hands still running through his hair in a state of panic.

 "How the fuck can I calm down! What the hell is happening! This needs to be a fucking dream, what is happen-." When I was close enough to him, I slowly released the intoxicating scent of the sleeping agent into the air, the light blue gas surrounding Steve, clouding the clear air that he was breathing before. Immediately his voice trailed off, the sound Steve's body falling to the green ground echoing through the outskirts of Tina's backyard. I stood there for a moment, scanning him carefully, keeping enough distance between me and his limp body. Do I just leave him here? What if a coyote comes around and eats him? Maybe the best bet is to lie right now and say that Steve was so shit faced, that he just passed out...That'll probably do, right? I mentally calmed myself down, returning to Tina's crowded backyard, slipping my gloves over my hands.

 "Can someone help Steve! I think he drank a little too much and passed out." This caused only one guy to catch wind of this, and he immediately went to retrieve him. There was a sort of ease when he was carried through the crowded party, noticing that he was still unconscious. The night then went back to normal, as any other party would go. People drank more than usual, it was loud, and of course, there was plenty of rooms that were filled with couples either having sex or running the bases. It wasn't my scene, but I successfully blended into the sea of drunk teens, who reeked of alcohol and strong cologne. The all too familiar cheering of Billy echoed throughout the house, garnering my attention. I turned to where his chanting was coming from, Tommy H’s arm wrapped around him in a friendly manner. When the hell did they get all friendly all of the sudden? I rolled my eyes, going up to the both of them.

 “Come on Billy; I don’t want to carry your drunk ass to the car.” I commented. Tommy burst out laughing, giving Billy a small slap on his stomach.

 “What is she, your mom or something? Hope you’re gonna tap that soon, she seems like a bit of a drag.” He mumbled, looking down at my outfit.

 “You better shut your trap Tommy, or else I’m going to stick my foot so far down your throat you’re going to have to remove it from your asshole surgically. Now fuck off.” As you can tell, Tommy H wasn’t someone I particularly liked or wanted to be around. I glared over at Billy’s unreadable expression, as he pulled his keys out of his leather jacket, handing them over to me.

 “I’ll meet you in the car.” His deep throaty voice slurred, motioning for me to head out the front door. I nodded, basically running out of the party instantly. I hated parties, so I was pleased to be getting the fuck out of this place. There was a hop in my step as I exited the house, skipping off down the driveway towards the blue Camaro. I got into the driver's seat, buckling in the seat belt, tightening it as much as I could. My hands gripped the soft leather steering wheel, the smell of cigarettes clouding my senses. I took my pack out of my chest pocket, rolling down the window as I lit the nicotine stick, inhaling deeply. The wind blew against my outstretched hand, causing goosebumps to form on my forearm, my arm hair standing up on edge. I made sure to breathe the smoke out the window, a small hum escaping my lips, while I placed the key into the engine. Metallica’s ‘Seek and Destroy’ blasted through the speakers. I took in a long drag, the thought of Steve possibly exposing me tomorrow morning occurring in my mind. That’s when the passenger door swung open, the car shifting as Billy threw himself into the seat, the strong scent of beer and sweat filling the car up.

 “Let’s go to your house.” He slurred, leaning himself on the door. I glanced over at him, raising my eyebrows as I turned the engine on, putting the car in drive, my hands still gripping the steering wheel tightly.

 “If we go to my house you better keep quiet in the morning. If you don’t, I will set you on fire Hargrove.” I warned, stopping at a red light, my eyes glued to him. His eyes focused on me a smirk plastered on his face.

 “That’s a particular threat…But alright, I pinky promise.” A low, gravelly laugh escaping his lips. The light turned green, my foot slowly pressing down on the gas, projecting us forward. Billy reached forward, turning up the music as loud as it could go. I tapped my hand on the wheel as I made a right, going by the school. Thank goodness Billy is too drunk to realize how shit my driving is, at least he didn’t know that I didn’t have my license. I smirked to myself, listening to the rumbling of the engine beneath our feet. 

 “Did you enjoy the party?” He asked, his window fogging up from his warm breath that probably smelled of cheap beer and cigarettes. I shrugged.

 “I don’t go to parties, so it was fine. I did notice that our whole grade is full of drunk, sex crazed teens.” I stated, turning into my driveway, realizing that Lina wasn’t home yet. _Weird. Very weird._ I put the car in park and handed Billy his keys.

 “Not all of us are sex crazed.” He replied, exiting the car at the same time as me. I began to laugh, nearly choking on the cold air.

 “Yeah. Sure. Says you.” I took the keys out of my pocket, Billy following me closely. I halted at the door, letting out a massive yawn, while I stuck the key into the lock, jiggling it a few times before unlocking it, entering the air-conditioned house. I sighed throwing my keys on the side table, listening to Billy stumble in behind me, closing the door. 

 “Why the hell is your house so chilly, it wasn’t like this before.” He asked raising his voice slightly, while I basked in the cold temperature. I made my way towards the kitchen, taking my army jacket off. 

 “I like it cold. You would just have to get used to it.” I replied, taking out my water jug “Want some water?” He shook his head slowly, yawning loudly. I had a quick drink, before putting the empty glass into the sink.

 “Come on; I’ll show you to my humble abode.” We walked up the stairs together, the sound of the floorboards creaking beneath us echoing through the house, encompassing the silence. I motioned for him to go into my room as I went into Lina’s room, grabbing her ex-boyfriends shirt that she had luckily decided to keep. In addition, I also gathered a few extra blankets and her pillow, since she probably wasn’t going to be home tonight. I returned to my room, instantly noticing that Billy had claimed my bed for himself. I threw the t-shirt at him, laying the covers down on the hardwood floor.

 “Mmm. Where are you?” He grumbled as I slid under my makeshift bed for the night. _He doesn’t expect me to sleep in my bed with him, does he? Heck no._

“I’m sleeping on the floor, where do you think I am?” I replied sarcastically, turning on my side, facing the wall. He groaned, the bed squeaking as he moved around. There was the sound of a struggle, which slowly died off with a small plop onto the mattress, a long exhale of breath echoing off the walls of my room. I pulled one blanket onto me, making sure to be comfortable, but not entirely. I stared at my wall, propping my arm under my pillow. 

 "Goodnight Tess." Billy murmured, slurring into the pillow, _I could imagine the drool that was being soaked up by my pillow as he said this, drowning in his saliva, screaming "Help Me, Tess! He-"._  I shook my head snapping myself out of the pure image of the pillow drowning. _I needed sleep._ I propped myself up glancing at the alarm clock, _2:21 am. Fuck sake, we had to get up in a couple of hours._ I dropped onto the pillow yet again, laying on my back and staring at the speckled ceiling. _Sleep. Sleep. Sleep. Sleep._ I repeated, trying my best to pass out. _I wish I could use my stupid gas on myself sometimes._ That's when Steve popped back into my mind, _how the hell am I going to get around school tomorrow without running into him? He's going to end up saying something, nobody knows me well enough to believe me if I denied it. I'm going to have to move away, Lina will probably flip shit by that time and scold me, but no argument would change the fact that I had been caught._ A small moan escaped Billy's mouth, barely making an entrance into my room. An inaudible mumble is falling from above me. _There is no way that I'm going to be able to sleep now._ I dug my face into the pillow, a small bead of sweat dripping down my temple, sliding across my cheek. The temperature began to creep into my blood, making it boil beneath my pale skin as I moved closer to the vent, trying to cool myself down. I glanced up at Billy, seeing his back facing me, his shoulders moving up and down slowly, his shoulders shuddering a few times as if he was gasping for air. His left arm was draped over the covers and from the dim moonlight that peered through the sheer curtains of my room, I could see dark marks that nearly represented bruises as if someone dug their fingers into his upper bicep. The black aura ceased to exist in the moments of his sleep, the darkness being replaced with an unexplained fear that lived within him. Slowly I drowned within his thoughts, the offering of his relaxed mind engulfing me.

  _"Billy! Did you spill apple juice on the floor?!" The voice was full of anger; I assumed it was his father who was yelling. I nearly jumped at the volume and tone, as I looked around the room I was in. The sound of stomping began to inch closer and closer to the bedroom, getting louder and louder with each step. I froze in my spot as if they were going to catch me, yet I was looking in through the clear glass of his brain._

_"Where are you?" He hissed. My eyes glanced around the room, hearing the creaking of the closet that was in the corner of the room. I turned to it, seeing a little boy, around the age of five standing behind the door, peeking out of the small space. The natural dirty blonde locks of hair fell in front of his blue eyes, a panicked look plastered on his face. He looked scared as if he knew what was about to happen. Suddenly his father pushed open the bedroom door, a wooden ruler in his hand._

_"What did I say would happen the next time you spilled something on the carpet?" Billy's eyes stared up at his father, full of terror and fear. He didn't reply to his father, he just tore his gaze off of him, looking down at his hands. I followed the line of vision, seeing the bright red marks that had littered his small palms._

_"S-S-Sir I'm-" Billy's tiny, timid voice spoke._

_"Hold out your hands." His father cut in, shakily he did what his father told him to do. A small sound, similar to a whipping noise echoed through the tiny room, a little hiss escaping Billy's mouth._

I managed to tear myself out of the flashback, closing my eyes tightly at the thought of what his father did to him, fighting back the urge to delve back into his memories. _I needed sleep **right now.**_ I turned over, my hair blowing out of my face from the cold air the vent excreted. _I had to find Eleven, and she was here in Hawkins I knew that for sure, but I just had to figure out **where.**_ I sat up slowly, pushing my red, wavy hair out of my face, before grabbing my spare pack of cigarettes off the bedside table, making sure that there wasn't any chance that Billy was awake. I took a seat on the window sill, draping my sheer white curtains around me, as I placed the cigarette between my lips. I held off on lighting it for a moment, my eyes staring off into the moonlit scenery. I let out a small sigh, pressing the tips of my fingers against the end of the cigarette, lighting it up. The window was already unlocked, making it easy to slide up to dispose of the ashes instead of searching for an ashtray. Jets of smoke escaped from the corners of my mouth, clouding my vision as I shook the little sparks of fire off my fingers. I tapped the ashes out of the window, placing the cigarette between my lips yet again. The bed squeaked as Billy shifted around, facing where I sat. _He didn't have the hard exterior when he was asleep; he looked like the child that was in his memories. So innocent, and fearful._ Smoke slowly slipped from my nose, as I turned my eyes away from his figure. Once again I tapped the ashes off the end, the sound of Billy's teeth clattering together bouncing off the walls. I took one deep drag, making sure to get as much as I could out of the last inhale of the smoke. I stubbed it out on the white wooden part of the window frame, and threw the rest out of the window, blowing a large, grey and white cloud of smoke into the air, waiting for it to disappear before shutting the window and locking it. I sat there for hours, watching the dark sky break into several pieces, the light orange and reds creating small cracks. My eyes glanced over at the alarm clock, reading _5:12 am_ in the bright red terminator numbers. _Might as well take a shower._ The shower was quick, and painless, even though I was growing hotter and hotter, no matter how cold I put the water. I returned to my room in one piece though, seeing that Billy was still in my bed, his body curled up beneath the duvet, his breathing was still natural, _making sure he wasn't awake before I started changing._

  ********

My eyes slowly opened, hearing the sound of a dresser sliding out and scraping. I glanced over at Tess, her back facing away from me, as she searched through the top drawer, topless. Her back shimmered and glistened with a few water droplets that had dripped off from the tips of her hair, her black underwear resting tightly on her curvy hips. There was a sort of _texture_ to her bare skin that I had been looking at, it seemed rough, and bumpy, _possibly some kind of childhood accident._ She had finally found a three quarter sleeved shirt, pulling it on over her body. The sleeves were black, and the shirt part was white, which looked like her usual outfit of choice. She made a sudden movement and instantly I closed my eyes, listening carefully as she walked around the room. I can picture her butt wiggling around as she searched for what she needed, I nearly broke into a smile just by thinking about it, but held it back successfully. I felt her hand on my back, shaking me.

 "Hey. Billy. Wake up. We've got school in a couple of hours, and I'm going to assume you want a shower cause you smell like shit." She commented, her brutal honesty causing a coy smile to appear on my face.

 "Yeah, yeah I get it. I'll get up in a minute." I grumbled into the pillow, feeling her shake me even harder this time, bothering the hell out of me. I went to push her hands off but they were already gone, the sound of her walking around the bed causing my eyes to open up again. She now had a pair of blue jean shorts, and of course, those stupid gloves. I watched her cross her arms over her chest, her eyes looking down at me. 

 "Alright! Alright!" I sat up, a small ache of pain pulsing through the bruises that littered my body, a small wince appearing on my face as I stretched my arms out in front of me. A raging headache shot through my head, and -as if Tess read my mind- she handed me a Tylenol, expecting me to swallow it dry, which I did.

 "I'll meet you downstairs. You better wake yourself up, my mom will be home soon." She hesitated at the word mom, but I didn't think anything of it. I just gave her a nod so she would be on her way. _It's going to be one entertaining day._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter. It was a little bit of a filler, but it was needed. Next chapter will be better, I promise.


	5. Another One Bites the Dust

 I waited on the main level for Billy to come down, my back propped up against the wall, my backpack beside me. It felt like I had been waiting for months, possibly years. _What the fuck was he doing up there? He has no clothes in my house; he's like a fucking woman._ I stood there for a few more moments until I got fed up.

 "Hey! Hurry your ass up Billy, Jesus Christ you still have to drive home and change!" This earns a groan from him, followed by the door opening, and some stomping. 

 "You sound like my Susan." He spat back, almost in a joking manner. He now had his leather jacket on from the night before, over the t-shirt I had given him before he threw himself into **my** bed last night. _Note to self: I need to change my sheets when I get home, I don't want to be sleeping in that beer scented bed all night._  He stretched out slightly and motioned for me to leave the house before he did. The cold morning air immediately hit me in the face, grazing my bare legs and cheeks, every piece of exposed skin raising at the temperature. A shiver racing through me. 

 "I don't know how you just wear shorts all the time; it's freezing." He commented, shivering as well. I handed him the keys with a small shrug.

 "I'm just used to it I guess, now speed up, you still have to take a shower and change." I repeated, making as much emphasis as I could on the time that it would probably take for him to finish his 'morning routine' _if he even had one._ Billy rolled his eyes, prying the keys out of my hands as he entered into the driver's side of the car. I threw my bag into the back seat, then proceeded to get myself into the passenger seat, making sure I didn't sit on my pack of cigarettes. It wasn't that long until Metallica blasted through the speakers, and the car began backing up. We sped down the bare, open road, the engine revving and shaking beneath our feet. 

 "Did you enjoy the party last night?" He asked bluntly, trying to make conversation in the silent car. I stifled a laugh, shaking my head back and forth, my damp hair hitting my pale cheeks.

 "Nope. I will never enjoy a party, and I'll stand behind that opinion forever." From the corner of my eye, I could see, and feel him staring, I couldn't describe the look he had plastered on his face, but at this point of time, I didn't care about his reaction. I tightened the seat belt around my waist, and sighed, continuing to look out the window. We pulled up to the front of his house, _or what I'm assuming is his house._ He placed the car in park and took the keys out of the ignition. I glanced over my shoulder, watching him lean back, the leather squeaking as his figure met the seat. He slid his hand down the steering wheel, and bit his bottom lip, a look of-dare I say- _fear_ in his eyes, 

 "You okay?" I ask gently, almost inaudible to his ears. He snapped out of his daze, as he looked over at me and nodded.

 "Yeah I-I'm fine. Come in for some breakfast, Susan's probably made some by now." When he mentioned the name 'Susan' it had sounded like he was disgusted just by the mentioning of her. 

 "Who's Susan?" I pressed, unbuckling my seat belt, watching him do the same. He let out a frustrated groan. 

 "Susan is Max's mother." He seethed, exiting the car. My brows furrowed, a look of confusion plastered on my face, as I got out of the Camaro, following behind Billy closely.

 "So she's your stepmother." He stopped instantly, causing my chest to slam into his back. I moved back quickly, as he spun around, a look of anger burning within the depths of his blue eyes. 

 "Don't you dare say that." He spat, _touchy subject, **very touchy.**_ I held my gloved hands out in front of me _like it would stop him if he tried to attack me or something._

 "Jeez Billy, you don't have to break a blood vessel, it was a mistake," I admitted, watching his facial expression soften. He tore his gaze off of me, taking the keys out of his pocket. Slowly, and quietly, he unlocked the front door, entering the house. Billy held the door open wide enough for me to step in before he let it close. My foot was nearly caught between the screen, but I had moved it a millisecond before it closed. There was slight chaos within the residence, or maybe it was just everyone's thoughts blasting through my head all at the same time. Billy snuck me up the stairs, passing Max on the way to his room. She gave me a smile that was barely noticeable, and I returned it, hoping that she saw mine. I followed Billy into what I presumed was his room, my eyes looking around slowly as if I was taking mental photos of it. He had a Metallica poster, beneath the bloodied photo it said _Kill Em All,_ in bright red colouring. A stereo system was right beside his bed, located right near the blinded window. A poster of a woman in a bikini was attached to the door of his closet, and beside the opened closet was a shelf full of his music, and a couple of nick nacks that I'm assuming he had collected. _It was simple, and it seemed like it didn't even belong to Billy. He wasn't a simple man, he was complicated, and this bedroom didn't reflect him at all._

"I'm going to take a shower. Stay in here." He commented, prying off the t-shirt that I had given to him. I could feel my breath hitch in my throat as if I was choking myself. I could hear his belt unbuckling while my eyes trailed over the faded purple marks that were scattered around his back in a few places; his shoulders, the sides of his ribs etc. I watched his hands go to the back of his pants, and instantly I turned around, facing the Metallica poster. The sound of the fabric dropping on the floor bounced off the walls, his feet shuffling around, then the door closed. I let out a long breath, only realizing that I had been holding my breath the whole time. I could feel my face heat up, while my body took me to his bed. I threw myself on top of the covers, staring up at his blank white ceiling. The shower turned on with one massive blast, my back relaxing on his hard bed, the duvet surrounding me. I closed my eyes slowly, focusing on the water hitting the glass of the tub. _It was as if I was in there with him; I could see his frosted figure through the sliding covering, his head arched up, letting the water run down his neck. **God Tesla what the fuck are you doing. Snap the fuck out of it.**_ I shook myself out of the little trance, my heart now beating out of my chest. **Get ahold of yourself you little slut. Billy? Of all people.** A small shiver ran up my back, goosebumps rising on my skin at an alarming speed, spreading over my body like the chickenpox. My fingers danced across the fabric of my shirt, resting on my flat stomach. 

  _"Fourteen." It was Eleven; I had fallen back into the hidden black depths of our communication lines. I turned looking directly at her, a wave of relief coming over me. **Thank god I got back in touch with her.**_

__ _"Eleven thank goodness. Are you okay? Tell me where you are." I insisted, hoping that the trance wouldn't be broken between us, praying to an unknown God that she wouldn't be interrupted. She blinked a few times, taking in slow breaths, thinking about her location. She opened her mouth, so close to giving me the answer, but then being interrupted, by a lighter voice calling to me._

_"Tess." I tried to fight back against the distraction, holding onto the image of Eleven, hoping that her abilities would match mine. Then it broke._

I shot up from the firm bed, out of breath, shaking a little bit, sweating as well, the light film of perspiration covering my pale skin. Max stared at me, her bright blue eyes, her freckled face toned red. A look of confusion, and fear in her eyes, a cocktail that mixes correctly, but doesn't go down well. 

 "I'm...I'm sorry. I was just coming up to ask if you wanted to come downstairs for some breakfast or something. Our parents left." She informed carefully, full of anxiousness. I was still looking around the room, calming myself down as fast as I could, hoping that she didn't notice. I licked my upper lip, the taste of iron spreading over my taste buds. I touched my left nostril, pulling my finger away from my face, _overuse of power._ I wiped it off quickly with the back of my hand and sighed. 

 "Yeah. I'll uh...I'll come down." I replied, sliding off the bed, following her out of Billy's room, the noise of the water turning off, with a loud bang through the house.

 "Did you go out for Halloween?" I asked, attempting to make conversation with her. She nodded. 

 "Yep. Got lot's of candy, we hit the big places." She led me into the simple kitchen, where a couple of pancakes sat on a green porcelain plate. Two bowls of candy a couple of inches away from it.

 "Whose we?" I questioned, my eyebrows raised. She halted, immediately her body tensing up. She turned around trying to find an answer, searching for a made up one, desperately clawing for a couple of made up names.

 "I...I..." Suddenly her thoughts popped into my head; it _was those kids Billy almost hit. They were her friends. I could tell from how panicked she was yesterday, but I thought I was just looking into it too much._ She was still searching for an explanation, confusion in her bright blue eyes.

 "It's okay. I don't have to know. Just trying to make conversation that's all." I murmured, watching her place a pancake on a separate plate. She slid it across the counter, placing it in front of me, the sweet scent of syrup flowing from the steam. She watched me stare at the food, ripping a piece of the fluffy warm batter, placing it into my mouth. The mildly sweet flavour was dancing over my taste buds. I glanced over at the pile of candy, chewing the food slowly. Max noticed this and placed a mini bag of gummy bears in front of me.

 "Thank you." She gave me a nod, watching my gloved hands slide the package into my pocket.

 "Why do you wear those things?" I looked down at my gloves, then back up to her.

 "I just do. They're my style." I lied, immediately moving my hands out of her sight so she wouldn't continue asking me questions about the gloves _since I wouldn't be able to keep up a lie, even if my life depended on it._

\----

 After Max exited the car full of anger and rage I turned to Billy, looking at him with slight disappointment in my eyes. The fresh air from his window slid across my face, my death glare burning into his cheek. I'm assuming that he had noticed since he forced the cloud of smoke out of his mouth quickly.

 "Why are you looking at me like that?" He growled, lightly tapping off the ashes from the end of the cigarette. I raised my eyebrows, crossing my arms over my chest.

 "Really? You don't know why I'm giving you a death stare?" He shrugged, fiddling around with the nicotine stick, as he brought it back towards his mouth.

 "I'm going to let you tell me yourself." He replied, the sentence barely audible to me. I rolled my eyes, unlocking the door of the car, putting my bag on my shoulder, exiting the car quickly. I walked around to his side of the car, his eyes staring up at me, ready to hear me give him an earful.

 "If you can't figure out what you did then I'm just going to give you some more time." And with that, I walked away, leaving him to finish his cigarette. I walked up the paved pathway towards the school, my bag bouncing up and down, hitting my back rhythmically. I held the straps, entering the warm, sweaty scented school. The halls were bustling with teenagers in a rush, some of them brushing past me. I arrived at my locker, entering my combination as fast as I could, looking back and forth like an undercover spy, trying to keep my eye out for Steve. I opened the tan door, throwing my army jacket onto the hook, and one of the two binders I had onto the top shelf, slamming it closed, locking it as fast as I opened it. The bell gave me a heart attack, and I found myself rushing towards the gymnasium, pushing by a few people. I entered, greeting the coach, rushing to the change room. I changed behind a few lockers ignoring the rest of the other girls who were commenting about me not wearing a bra. 

 "What a little slut." Vicki muttered under her breath "She thinks that'll turn Billy on." She added, a small laugh escaping her mouth. _I could turn you into a pile of ash...But at least I keep that thought to myself, bitch._ I pulled on the green gym shorts, fixing the shirt, so it was loose and baggy on my body. I ignored the girl's childish laughs, and entered the gymnasium, realizing that a basketball game was in session. Billy on the skins team, Steve on the shirts. For some unknown reason, I felt like I had to sit out and observe how this was going to play out. _Power vs power, something this school would pay to see._ I took a seat on the top row of the bleachers separated from all the giggling girls so that I wouldn't lose brain cells of course. Steve's grey t-shirt was drenched in sweat right around his neck and chest area, and Billy glistened in the sunlight, the perspiration spread all across his skin. I couldn't help but stare at the both of them, rooting for Steve, _who was the underdog in the situation._ He dribbled the ball, trying to confuse Billy, _the attempt was good, but it flopped._

"Harrington right? I heard you used to run this school. Is that true?" Steven was pushing against him, trying to find someone who was open as Billy continued taunting him "King Steve they used to call you huh? Then you turned bitch." I could feel the embarrassment, and the anger flow through Steve like poison entering someone's bloodstream.

 "Hey maybe you should just shut up and play the game." He retorted, moving back slightly, _a fatal flaw._ Billy tripped him up, stealing the ball from the rhythmic dribble that he had acquired during their conversation. Steve got up from the lament floor, rushing towards Billy, _but he was faster than Harrington, like the hare and the tortoise._ By the time he was relatively close to him, Billy had already jumped up, brought the ball around his leg and sunk the basket. He high fived Tommy H, and licked his teeth, _the trademark action that Billy usually did._ His eyes had traced up to me, and I could imagine my face, a mixture of shock and slight disappointment. 

 "Steve." Nancy's voice echoed throughout the gym. He turned quickly noticing her, standing up straight. Before he left the court he glanced over to where I sat, his eyes filling with fear, _he still knew, and there was no way I was going to be able to avoid the confrontation that was going to ensue sooner or later._ He exited the gym, and the game continued. Point after point, basket after basket, Steve's team began to panic, and even I began to feel bad for them. The coach looked on, as Billy showed off his skills, taking all the shots, earning all those points. I sat there, watching one of Steve's teammates run out of the gym. _He was going to get King Steve, like he was trying to convey the fact that if they were going down, he was going to go down with them as well._ I couldn't hold myself back from putting myself into the guys mind, seeing through his eyes.

_"HARRINGTON! Dude, we need you man that douchebag is killing us, let's go!" He yelled, Steve, looking over at him._

_"Alrig-"_

_"COME ON!" The guy yelled, preventing Steve from getting a word in edge wise. I could see him stare at a dumbfounded Nancy, and that's when my trance cut out._

**Desperate much.** I thought to myself, watching him return to the court. The game continued, with little to no bickering until Billy got the ball back from one of his teammates, getting into another standoff with Steve instantly. He let out a laugh. The squeaking of Steve's shoes ringing in my ears.

 "Alright, Alright, Alright! King Steve." He yelled, motioning with his right arm, his eyes staring intently on Harrington as he moved forward with an indescribable sway. "King Steve everyone! I like it, you're playing tough today." He crouched down, almost at eye level with him. _He was toying with him, and Harrington was letting it happen._

 "Jesus! Do you ever stop talking man? Come on." Billy let out yet another laugh, as he stood up straight, bouncing the ball so slowing, taunting him.

 "What? You're afraid that the coach is going to bench you now that I'm here? Huh?" Suddenly he charged at him, knocking Steve down, a loud thump causing us, _the on lookers,_ to wince. Billy sunk yet another basket. He high fived Tommy H, and went back over to Steve, as if he was going to help him up. Steve was squinting, like he was fighting off the pain of getting the wind knocked out of him, as Billy offered out his hand, and like a moron, Harrington took it. _Like the last cookie in a cookie jar._ He pulled him up slightly, but not helping him onto his feet. My ears tuned in immediately.

 "You were moving your feet. Plant them next time, draw a charge." Then he threw the poor, lanky Steve back down against the floor, stepping over him like some sort of peasant. _Jesus Christ Billy, way to be an asshole._ The whistle blew.

 "Time to hit the showers, good game Hargrove." He complimented. I stood up from the bleachers, waiting for everyone to exit, before I followed the large group of gossiping girls into the change room. I had ridden myself of the gym uniform, and decided to take the shower that was the furthest away from all the girls, quickly giving myself a rinse under freezing cold water, ignoring the soft whispers that sounded like screaming to me, that they were exchanging about me. I wrapped my white, rough towel around myself and changed back into my outfit that I had wore to school today, tying my now wet hair into a tight bun. The bell for second period rang as soon as I got out of the foggy change room. _I needed a cigarette immediately._ I went back to my locker, retrieved my jacket, and made my way outside, into the alleyway, or smokers pit as some people called it. The clinking of the door accompanied my search for my lighter, a large, angry, frustrated grunt escaped my mouth. My gloved hand slamming into the dark bricked wall, a small crack shooting through the center. I could feel the cold air enter my throat through my widened mouth, stinging my lungs, providing me the same stinging a cigarette would give. _Motherfucker._ I looked around, thinking someone saw, but reassured myself that nobody was even close to my location.

 "Why don't you just destroy the school? It'll make our lives better." Steve's voice bounced off the brick, I turned my whole body around, my face turning red instantly. He looked at me, his arms crossed over his chest, the water droplets on the tips of his hair dripping onto his grey jacket. I stared at him, as he walked over to me, keeping a fairly large distance between us, as if I might flip out and explode. 

 "And if you're missing your lighter I don't know why you don't just light it with your God Damn hands." He snapped, a panicked lightning bolt shooting through his voice. I rolled my eyes.

 "I don't know what the hell has gotten into your head Steve, I think you were really fucking drunk last night and you can't remember what you saw." I accused, trying to convince him that he saw nothing last night, covering my tracks.

 "No no no. I know EXACTLY what I saw Tesla! You went into the backyard, and you lit a cigarette with your fucking skin that was up in flames." He exclaimed. _He needs to shut up._ "And then! Then! You tried to calm me down, and when that didn't work you fucking knocked me out! I don't know how the fuck you did it, but somehow you did! Now you have the fucking balls to say that I was really drunk last night and that I hallucinated all of that!" He let out a small forced laugh, before adding "I might have stupid written on my forehead to you, but I'm not as stupid as you presume Tesla." I raised my eyebrows and let out a fake yawn.

 "Are you done having a PMS outburst Harrington? Are you ready to have an adult conversation without getting your panties in a knot?" I taunted, catching him off guard. His face had slowly softene as if he was giving up, but his voice stayed strong.

 "What the fuck are you Tesla?" The phrase came out like a question, but it wasn't intended to be one. He was trying to instill fear in me, but it wouldn't work. Not after everything that I had gone through at the labs. Nothing would scare me. He took a few steps forward, his body now a few inches away from mine. He was so close that he could see the frame of the contacts that surrounded my iris. _Contacts weren't created with the thought that someone would get this close to you and see the actual piece of silicone._

 "Why the fuck should I tell you? What makes you so special Harrington?" I squinted.

 "You should tell me because if you don't I'm going to tell give the lab a call." He said. The comment hit me in the face as if someone had thrown a punch and it had broken my jaw. My gloved hand tightened into a fist, and my jaw clenched.

 "Don't you fucking dare Harrington." He smirked, raising his eyebrows slightly.

"I guess you just gave me an answer. See. It was that simple." I felt the rage boil in my stomach, as I threw a punch against the wall again, a larger crack joining the first one I had made. Steve jumped up into the sky, caught off guard by the brick splitting, a few shards of rock falling onto the concrete ground. He dug into his pocket and handed me his lighter, which I basically ripped out of his hands. I turned away from him, putting my lone cigarette in between my lips, lighting the end, then turning back to him. I blew out a cloud of smoke directly into his face. He stared at me, as if he was taking notes on my features.

 "Well. What else do you want from me?" I growled, puffing out the grey cloud of smoke, slipping out of the corners of my mouth. He stared at me and breathed in deeply.

 "I guess I'm just confused as to how you have the...Y'know, the fire, the flames, and that thing that knocked me out." I took another deep drag, staring up at him. 

 "A magician never reveals her secrets," I muttered under my breath.

 "You mean a lab experiment never reveals the secret cocktail." He corrected, taking the cigarette out of my hands, taking a drag, his face wincing at the heavy nicotine that probably burned his lungs.

 "I'm not a lab experiment." I corrected angrily. _I was not an experiment. I hated that word with a passion._ He noticed how mad this commented made me and gave a small apology under his breath, handing the cigarette back to me. _Maybe this was a good thing. Maybe it wasn't going to destroy me if I spoke to him. I know that I can't speak to Billy about this._ I squinted up at him, taking a long drag.

"I am one...But not anymore." I murmured, knocking the ashes off the tip, watching it fall onto the concrete. He nodded. 

 "Well...At least you're not anymore right? Isn't that a plus?" He asked, almost like a joke.

 "Yeah. I guess." I flicked the last part of my cigarette down on the floor stomping it out. "But if you tell anyone Harrington...I will rip your intestines out from your ass and make you eat them." I threatened, and Steve actually believed it, which gave me a feeling of authority, _but that feeling scared me._ I moved by him, reaching out for the door, stopping momentarily when his voice called out to me.

 "Does Hargrove know?" I glanced over at him, then shook my head. 

 "Only you Harrington. So like I said if you tell anyone I know whose intestines I'll be pulling out." Then I left the smokers pit. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, I'm doing pretty well with these update eh? I hope you guys are enjoying this story! I would still appreciate it if you guys gave me some commentary or something, or not. It's all up to you guys. The story is about to get interesting though! So stay tuned :)


	6. Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)

 After the last period of the day for me, I escaped the school before Billy could find me, not wanting to be stuck in a car with him and Max, _I couldn't stand it when they fought, and I hated watching it happen right in front of me without being able to do anything._ I walked on the open road, making my way down my street, peering around at the houses. A few kids rode their bikes, the harsh air blowing by me. I held the strap of my backpack with one hand, while searching my pocket with the other, retrieving my keys. Once I looked back up, I made my way up the driveway, strutting towards the house. The wind blew across my face, my hair brushing by my nose, tickling the skin. I unlocked the door, looking behind me before entering the bone chilling house, providing a much needed relief from my overwhelming warmth. I threw my keys into the bowl that sat on the oak table, noticing that nothing had been moved since this morning. _Lina didn't come home? That's not like her at all. Usually when her and her coworkers get together for the night, she takes the next day off...But she isn't here right now..._ I removed my shoes, trying to put my mind at ease by looking for some sort of evidence that she had returned home and just went back out again, but it only made my panic worse. Nothing had been moved, everything was in it's place, _just the way it was when I left this morning._ I felt a certain unsettling feeling creep up my back, a physical shiver rocking through my body. _This wasn't right._ I thought to myself looking back at the front door. _This wasn't like her._ I walked back to the front door, putting my shoes back on. I removed my backpack, chucking it beside the table before grabbing my keys. Once again, I exited the house, locking the door behind me before walking down the street, back towards the school, hoping that I could get a ride to the police station from Steve, _since he had a fifth period class._ I had stopped at the local convenience store, buying a new lighter, and another pack of cigarettes that would last me for the next two days, then continued my walk to the school. A few people sat on the hoods of their cars, listening to music, as they ate their late lunches. Some of them were dressed in heavy jackets, others were in thin windbreakers, but most of them had a sign of chilliness on their faces, jacket or not it was cold to them. I walked by the group, feeling their eyes on my bare legs, which couldn't help but make me blush. I made my way to the smokers pit, not wanting to get in trouble if I smoked on 'school property' _even though the smokers pit **was** part of the school still._ I opened up my new pack of cigarettes, taking one of them out, placing it between my lips before setting it alight with the new lighter. I breathed in deeply allowing the nicotine to fill my lungs.

 "God what a terrible addiction." I mumbled, the smoke jetting from my nostrils. I turned around, staring at the crack that I had made in the wall when I had punched it. _They were getting out of my control, and I don't think I will be able to handle them much longer._ I ran my gloved hand across the deep split, noticing that it was beginning to glow. It wasn't a bright glow, it was very dim, and barely noticeable, but I could see it. I shook my head, as if the image would go away, but it didn't. The bright light glowed, and glowed, turning brighter and brighter, my eyes started to burn from it, my hand going up to protect my vision. I felt like my power was being drained from me, the light pulling me in slowly, almost lifting me up off of my feet. Then out of nowhere I heard Steve's voice.

 "Tesla!" I jumped out of the trance, accidentally punching him in the stomach sending him flying into the wall behind him. He let out a low groan, clutching his solar plexus, wincing harshly.

 "Jesus Christ Steve, don't sneak up on me like that!" I yelled holding my hand out to him, watching his body curl up into fetal position before recovering slowly moments after. He took my gloved hand into his large one, as I pulled him up, steadying him on his feet.

 "You were the one that was staring that that fucking crack you made in the wall. I was just trying to snap you out of it, psycho." He murmured, moving back and forth from one foot to the other, his hand resting on his stomach.

 "I'm not a psycho you little shit. Are you off?" I asked bluntly, raising my hand to my face, noticing that I had dropped my cigarette on the ground. _Fuck sake!_

 "Tesla, the bell rang like ten minutes ago...What the hell is up wit-" I rolled my eyes, quickly placing my hand over his mouth to mute him.

 "Now is not the time for a questionnaire Harrington, I need to bum a ride to the police station." His dark brown eyes squinted, while I pulled my hand off.

 "Are you going to turn yourself in or something? Why can't you just get a ride from your little boyfriend." At the faint mention of Billy being my boyfriend Steve's voice had changed, it was as if his words had been laced with acid, just by the acknowledgement of his existence.

 "I can't get a ride from him. I can't stand being in a car with him and his step sister, hence the reason I'm asking you. So are you going to give me a ride or not?!" I exclaimed, staring up into his dark brown eyes. He glanced around a little bit and sighed, scratching the back of his neck.

 "Fine. Fine. Fine. I'll take you." He replied reluctantly, motioning for me to follow him. We walked past the same group of people from before, only this time I could hear their whispers. _More rumors about me being a whore, how_ _marvelous._ In no time we arrived at Steve's red BMW 733i. The both of us threw our backpacks into the back seat, and got into the front of the car, buckling in our seat belts at almost the exact same time. Then we were on the road. Queen played in the background while I looked outside the window anxiously, trying not to focus on Steve, knowing that if I did I would end up slipping into his memories. He wasn't strong enough to keep them secure, _nobody truly was, unless they were like me of course._ Without warning though, I caught a few glimpses of what he had been thinking about, as if he was playing a movie in his mind.

  _"What are you doing here?" Steve asked. He had his gym towel over his shoulder, and his arms crossed as he looked away from Nancy, watching a few girls from the track team jog by._

  _"What do you think? Where were you this morning? I missed first period." She informed him, as he continued to avoid Nancy's eyes, looking at the wall behind her, hoping that she didn't notice, **not that she would care.**_

  _"Figured Johnathan would take you." He stated, shrugging, this time, making eye contact with her. A confused look had slowly surfaced onto Nancy's face._

_"What are you talking about?" She questioned, pressing for answers._

_"Jesus, you really can't handle your alcohol." He commented, looking up to the sky. "Uh...You remember going to Tina's party last night right?"_

_"Yes." She replied, almost annoyed by this question._

_"And then what?"_

_"I remember...Dancing and...Spilling some punch, you got mad at me because I was drunk...And then you took me home." She struggled to gather her memories and thoughts, but it came together slowly. Steve was laughing lightly, in a very sarcastic tone._

_"No see, that's where your mind gets a little bit fuzzy." He put the gym towel around his neck "That was your other boyfriend...That was Johnathan." His voice was full of hurt, I could feel it within him as he said those words, looking away from her once again._

_"I don't understand."_

_"Pretty simple Nance you were just telling it like it is." He shook his head, avoiding eye contact still._

_"What?" **She really didn't remember.**_

_"Oh! Apparently...Uh...We killed Barb, and I don't care cause I'm bullshit and our whole...Our whole relationship is bullshit, and pretty much everything is just bullshit, bullshit, bullshit. Oh yeah! Also, you don't love me." **Well fuck that was a triple punch...**_

__ _"I was drunk Steve! I don't remember any of that!" She insisted, her voice sounding annoyed with the situation that was occurring between the both of them in these moments._

_"So that makes everything you said it's just what, bullshit too?" He was starting to become frustrated, and my heart began to sink, knowing that he wasn't going to be able to protect himself from this heartbreak._

_"Yes!" She replied._

_"Well then tell me." He demanded, his face becoming a light tomato red._

_"Tell you what?" She asked, trying to get the instructions nice and crystal clear for herself. There was a momentary pause._

_"You love me." He blurted. Her mouth dropped open slightly._

_"Really?" She was about to continue then the classmate came outside and interrupted. After the little interruption he waited for Nancy to reply, but there wasn't one. As Steve walked away I could hear a faint._

_"I think that you're bullshit."_

Then the small flashback ended, and I couldn't help but say something.

"What a little bitch." This caught Steve's attention, his eyes moving from the road then back to me. He shifted in his seat slightly, as we approached a stop light.

 "Who's...Who's a little bitch?" He asked, momentarily confused.

 "Nancy." I stated. He frowned, looking back at the road, focusing on the lights that blew in the brisk wind. He ran his fingers through his thick hair, and sighed.

 "I was an asshole to her and I had a feeling that one day...She would leave me for Johnathan. Especially after I did all this shit to her." He commented, the light turning green indicating for him to step on the gas. 

 "What do you mean?" I pressed, trying to avoid the opportunity of raking through the whole encyclopedia of Nancy and Steve's relationship. Another sigh escaped into the car, as my eyes glanced over to his hand tightening on the steering wheel.

 "Last year, around this time...I spray painted the movie theater board to make it say 'All the right movies starring Nancy the slut Wheeler' in huge red letters. Tommy and Carol had the idea and like a fucking idiot I did it, all because I saw Johnathan and Nancy in her room and I made assumptions...The wrong type of assumptions. She slapped me in the face, I said plenty of hurtful things, and then suddenly Johnathan got involved, then I started saying shit to him. I assumed he was a queer and then I mentioned how he would be a screw up just like his father..." His voiced somewhat trailed off, thinking about what else he said before continuing "I also said I wasn't surprised about what happened to his brother, then I got the shit beat out of me basically...As usual." He muttered. He left me pretty speechless by the end of his rant. It took me a good two minutes to compose myself.

 "...What happened to his brother?" I asked, curiously. _What might have triggered **the** Johnathan Byers to go berserk and beat him up?_

"He went missing. There was a few rumors that came about where he was dead, and suddenly poof, he came back to life." _Missing. In such a small town? The kid couldn't have gotten that far even if he did go missing._ My mind faded back to Lina... _How could a fully grown adult go missing then, and how did his little brother come back to life._ Before I could press for more information, Steve pulled into the parking lot of the Police station, parking the car in front of the door.

 "Do you want me to wait for you?" I unbuckled my seat belt and shrugged.

 "I guess. If not I'll just get someone else to drive me home." I commented, grabbing my backpack from the backseat, before exiting the car. 

 "I'll take that as a yes." He mumbled, while I slammed the door closed. I could feel his eyes watching me enter the station, the harsh smell of cigarette smoke entering my senses. _It was as if every person in here smoked like chimneys._ I walked towards the front desk, noticing the secretary who looked to be in her mid 60's, with salt and pepper colored hair, and clear thick framed glasses. Behind her I could see a couple of officers having their daily dose of doughnuts and coffee, the muffled sounds of them trying to talk with a full mouth echoing through the station. 

 "Excuse me...Do you know where I can find the Chief?" The woman looked up from her papers, her eyes squinting at me.

 "Chief Hopper isn't here right now, but we have a few off-" Suddenly the door swung open, hitting the wall behind it, making me jump out of my skin. The man was bulky, not in a body builder sort of way, it was more like a _doughnut eater._ He had a harsh look on his face, as if it had been a stressful day for him. 

 "Oh Jim! This young lady here wants to speak to you." The secretary, _Florence,_ said in an uninterested tone. He was out of breath, his eyes darting to Florence, then to me. A small, annoyed sighed escaped his mouth, his hand reaching up to scratch his thick beard, catching my harsh stare.

 "Follow me." His voice barely audible, while he walked by me briskly. He greeted his colleagues, snatching two doughnuts from the white box. He entered his office first and took a seat at his desk, leaning back in the chair, he motioned for me to sit down as well. I dropped my bag beside me, and pulled the ash tray towards me, taking my pack of cigarettes out of my pocket, placing it onto the desk. He watched me closely, squinting at my unnatural posture.

 "So...What seems to be the problem?" He asked, taking a bite of the glazed doughnut, watching my nervous hands shake as I lit the end of the cigarette with a lighter. I took in a long drag, pulling it away from my mouth, the smoke jetting out of my nose.

 "My...Mom has gone missing." I murmured, fiddling with the cigarette, not looking up at him.

 "How long has she been missing for?" I shrugged.

 "She went out to a Halloween party last night, and she said she would be back in the morning but she never showed up." I took another long drag, the smoke filling my lungs as I quickly pulled it away and blew out the large cloud, tapping the ashes into the ash tray.

 "Your mother is an adult, she can handle herself." I glared up at him.

 "It's not like her to go back on her word Sir. I just need you to help me find he-."

  _"Friends don't lie. Isn't that your bullshit saying." He stomped after a young girl, **possibly his daughter for all I know.** "Hey. Hey. Hey! Don't walk away from me." She was about to close the door, but he stopped it by slamming it open, causing it to hit the wall. The young girl spun around the familiar face almost frightening me, the rage that I had only seen once before. The eyes that belonged to Eleven. **He...Has her.**_

  _"Where'd you go on your little field trip?" He asked, his arm stuck out in the doorway, as if it would keep her from leaving the tiny room. She removed her thick jacket, throwing it onto the bed. Not giving him an answer. "Where?" He pressed, while she avoided eye contact with him, looking behind her._

  _"Did you go see Mike?" Her eyes were full of sadness, now looking at him with guilt._

  _"He didn't see me." She replied, looking away from him. He pushed himself off the door frame walking towards her._

  _"Well that mother and daughter did, and they called the cops." He leaned on the bed, his hands pressing deep into the mattress, leaning forward as if she was some sort of criminal. "Now, did anyone else see you?" His voice loud, and powerful. Her eyes studied him closely. "Anyone at all? Come on I need you to think!" The volume raising._

  _"Nobody saw me." She replied angrily, her hands almost making fists. He moved around to the other side of the room, still keeping his harsh stare on her._

  _"You put us in danger. You realize that right?" He asked._

  _"You promised I go." Her eyes began to fill up with tears, her voice barely holding up from cracking, as she pointed at him. "And I never leave!" She yelled, escalating the argument "Nothing ever happens!" He rubbed his beard in the same frustrated way he did when I saw him just moments ago._

  _"Yeah, nothing happens and you stay safe!" He yelled, slamming his hand down on the table, catching her off guard. He placed his hand on his forehead, leaning on it for support._

  _"You lie!" She exclaimed. He quickly left the support of his hand and towered over her._

  _"I don't lie, I protect, and I feed_ , _and I teach, and all I ask of you is that you follow three simple rules. Three rules, and you know what? You can't even do that!" He screamed, his face reddened with anger and rage. She was scared, and her eyes were still brimmed with tears as he walked out of the room. She slammed her hands onto the same table he had slammed his on._

_"You're grounded. You know what that means?" He asked, rushing over to the fridge, swinging open the door "It means no_ _Eggo's." He stated, throwing the boxes out onto the floor, slamming it closed "And no TV." He added, almost out of breath as he stomped towards the television. "For a week." He went to move the stand but it didn't budge, his eyes immediately darting over to Eleven, her nose leaking a line of blood._

_"Alright, knock it off, let go." His voice a little softer than before. She shook her head, avoiding his commands. He went back to the television stand, trying to pull it up, still not succeeding._

_"Okay. Two weeks." He stated, putting another week on top of her sentence, once again going back to the stand, and once more it didn't move. "Let go." She shook her head yet again. "A month." He threatened._

_"No." She replied._

_"Well congratulations, you just graduated from having no TV for a month, to no TV at all." He pulled the plug, the colored image disappearing from the screen._

_"NO!" She screamed, as he whipped the wires onto the ground, watching her rush over to the TV. "No. No. No." She grabbed at the_ _antenna's._

_"You have got to understand that there are consequences to your actions." He informed. She spun around._

_"You are like Papa!" She screamed, **Brenner.**_

__ _"Really?" He mumbled, rubbing his eyes with his right hand, and leaned his arm on the frame of the door. "I'm like that psychotic son of a bitch?" Her eyes began to fill with tears again as he stood up straight again. "Alright. You wanna go back to the lab? One phone call and I can make that happen." He threatened._

_"I hate you." She stated pointing at him, her mouth twitching as tears were about to spill down her cheeks._

_"Yeah well...I'm not so crazy about you either. You know why? Cause you're a brat." He shot back. "You know what that word means? How about that'd be your word for the day huh? Brat why don't we look it up." He picked up the dictionary flipping through it "B-R-A-T" He spelled the word, proceeding to throw it at her, and before it could even reach relatively close to her, she stopped it, holding her hand out in front of her, catching Jim off guard completely. She threw the book back at him, and he hit it away._

_"Hey!" He exclaimed, making his way towards her "What the hell is wrong with you?" She pushed the red couch to the side, causing it to his his leg "Ahh!" He regained his balance a few moments later. "Hey!" He yelled once again, watching her make her way back to her bedroom._

_"Hey!" He screamed again, while she knocked one of the bookshelves down, the crashing sounds filling the room. "HEY!" He proceeded to hobble after her basically. "Hey!" He yelled once again, making it close to the door before she closed it in his face. She locked it basically, as he leaned his body weight against it, struggling with the door knob._

_"OPEN THIS DOOR! OPEN THE DAMN DOOR!" I could hear her crying, but I couldn't see her. I could only see what he saw in those moments of pure rage._

_"YOU WANNA GO OUT IN THE WORLD!" He yelled, slamming his hand against the green door "THEN YOU BETTER GROW UP! GROW THE HELL UP!" He added, his deep voice screaming. Then suddenly, a screech echoed through her room, and every single window that the house had broke, sending shards of glass flying all around the place, hitting the back of Jim's body. He looked around, dumbfounded and shocked, his eyes meeting the door again, as Eleven cried._

"Kid!" Jim exclaimed, waving his hand in front of my face, causing me to flinch in my seat. My breathing was rapid and heavy, a bead of sweat sliding down my temple. His dim blue eyes studying me. "What the hell is wrong with you?" I stared right back at him, feeling the anger beginning to boil inside of me.

 "I need to go." I blurted, standing up from my seat, throwing my backpack over my shoulder.

 "Hey! Hey! Hey! What about your mom? I need a name if you really want me to find her." His voiced raised slightly, watching me gather my pack of cigarettes and lighter from his desk.

 "Lina Forsberg." I stated, basically running to the door.

 "Hold on a minute! Sit back down. I need more information. Height, Weight, Hair Color, every detail counts kid." I stomped back over to the chair and stood beside it.

 "My name is not kid...It's Tess, and I'm leaving." I growled, storming out of his crammed office, and directly out the station doors. My eyes darted around the parking lot, searching for Steve's car. The engine revved loudly, the red car appearing almost out of thin air. I entered the passenger seat, throwing my backpack into the back angrily.

 "Okay...Easy. Please don't destroy my car...It didn't do anything to you." He commented, running his hand over the steering wheel. I crossed my arms over my chest, as he put the car into drive, pressing down on the gas. Jim had slammed open the doors of the station but by the time he made it relatively close to the vehicle we had driven away. 

 "Care to explain why Hopper is running after you?" He asked, his eyes glancing up at the review mirror, looking behind us at Jim, who ran his hands through his hair angrily.

 "I just had to get out of there..." I replied under my breath, watching the trees pass me, the color turning into a large blur. Silence fell upon the car, as I leaned my forehead against the window, closing my eyes tightly, thinking back to Hopper's memories. _Those windows, all that glass, she broke them. She's stronger than I remembered._

"Hey! Stop leaning you head on the window, you're fogging it up!" Steve exclaimed.

 "Shut up." I murmured, leaning my back against the chair, my arms still crossed. He groaned, and turned off the road, placing the car in park.

 "Listen. I wanna know what the hell happened, since you're acting like some sort of bullshit, angsty teenager that has a stick up her ass." I raised my eyebrows at his outburst, caught off guard by his tone, but in a way, I understood why he said this. I **was** acting a little rude, especially because he had driven me to the station. I let out a small sigh.

 "Hopper is harboring this girl I knew from the labs..." Steve squinted at me, sitting back in his chair.

 "And how do you know this?" 

 "Because I saw it." I informed him, in a matter of fact tone.

 "Why didn't you take her then?" He shot back.

 "You moron. She wasn't there. I saw his memories. I watched him yell at her because she had left the house, and he threatened her by saying he would call the labs and have her taken away, and it just got me so fucking angry that I just had to leave." I explained, looking out at the long winding road, the sun slowly beginning to set.

 "You can see peoples memories?!" My eyes widened slightly at his shock, _was that the only fucking thing he heard through my whole explanation?_

 "Only the fresh ones, I can't see a year in the past or anything, unless I really really try." I could see his face go a light crimson "So...Does that mean you've seen mine?" I nodded. 

 "And Billy's." I added "Now can you start driving, you can talk as you drive." He sighed, putting the car in drive.

 "He's an asshole." I smirked.

 "You're only saying that cause he's embarrassed you. He likes pushing your buttons and you're literally letting him." I pointed out, looking directly in front of us.

 "He's a complete douche bag, I don't know why you hang around with him." I rolled my eyes at his comment.

 "Harrington, I gave you a resolution to your Billy problem. You need to learn how to ignore him. You're letting him get to you. I know it's hard to control yourself, but you can avoid it so easily." I argued. 

 "It's bullshit. I don't know why he's coming after me in the first place!" He complained. I rolled my eyes.

 "You're 'King Steve'...It's basically something that makes him feel intimidated. He wants to be the top dog, and you were the only person standing in the way of that." He let out a harsh breath, his hands gripping the steering wheel. We sat in silence, as I gave him directions to my house, arriving a few moments later. He put the car into park and leaned back.

 "Thanks Harrington." I reached for my backpack and exited the car, leaning on the open window.

 "And remember...If I find out you told anyone about my secret I wil-"

 "Rip my intestines out of my ass and make me eat them...I know...I won't tell anyone." He assured, waving me away.

 "Good."  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No Billy in this chapter, but this whole chapter was for a lot of plot development :) Cause plot is needed. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Steve and Tess and starting to become friends, do you guys like where this might be going? I would love to hear some feedback.


	7. Blue Monday

 "Will Tesla Forsberg please come down to the main office, Tesla Forsberg to the main office." The secretary's emotionless, almost robotic voice echoed throughout the gym. I stopped my jogging, placing my hands on my knees as I caught my breath. A bead of sweat dripped down my temple splashing onto the floor. I heard heavy footsteps travelling towards me, as someone put a towel over my shoulders. I gasped for breath straightening myself up, tilting my head to look up at Steve.

"Dry yourself off Forsberg; you look like a mess." He muttered winking at me as he jogged back over to another basketball game. I wiped my damp forehead off, dragging the rough towel down my cheeks. Billy stared at me while I walked by him, I almost made eye contact with him, but I avoided the potential of that even happening. I pushed the gymnasium doors open, my sneakers squeaking down the hallway, the sharp scent of body odour and sweat stinging my nose. Right before I even entered the central office, I saw the dull hat that Hopper had in his office yesterday. I was just about to dash by the window, but he had turned around right before I had gotten out of his sight, catching me in the act of trying to escape. I halted, watching him come out of the office. 

"Let's step outside." His voice sounded reasonably calm which was kind of troubling since my brain was flashing back to the rage and anger that he had projected towards Eleven in the memory that I had seen. He brushed by me, going towards the nearest exit that was located a few meters away from the office. The cold fall air slammed against my cheeks, a small sigh escaping my lips as it cooled me down from the vigorous sweat that had been almost pouring down my face. Hopper took a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket, holding the box out to me. I glared up at him, shaking my head, refusing to take one from him. 

"What do you want?" I ask, crossing my arms, looking up at him. He squinted at me, lighting the cigarette between his lips, taking a deep drag. He exhaled the smoke letting it blow into the sky above me. 

"You know exactly why I'm here." He grumbled, I glared up at him. "I did a little research..." He continued, pulling a piece of folded paper out of his chest pocket, unravelling it with his large hands. He turned the picture to me showing the photo of the Hawkins Lab associates. A large red circle encased Lina a few times, and her name was highlighted below, with her age in brackets right beside it. My eyes were wide, as I stared at the page.  _I had been caught. The ages of Lina and I were pretty close, she was twenty-six, and I was sixteen unless she got pregnant when she was ten the story of her being my mother is not believable._

"I know what happened at the lab a few months ago, and I know a few people escaped...One of them being you, and Lina." My teeth scraped together, and my fist clenched. The feeling of being caught was the most unsatisfying and blood boiling thing in the entire world, and it was happening to me at this moment. "What's your real name kid?" He pressed, squinting at me. I knew what he was asking me to say. I felt violated, knowing that I will only be recognized as a number for the rest of my life. I closed my eyes.

"Fourteen," I muttered under my breath. "But I prefer Tesla...Now if you don't mind, I would like to leave this interrogation and go back to class." I retorted, backing away from him. His eyes following me closely.

"I came here to ask you for your help Tesla...I'm not here to send you back to the lab." He informed, taking a massive drag from his cigarette. I stopped in my tracks letting out a small sigh, my eyes looking towards the door, then back over to him. It was as if he was going to plead with me if I said no.

"Out of all the people in this shitty town...Why would you need my help?" I asked curiously, squinting at him. He inhaled deeply, letting the smoke of his cigarette jet out of his nose. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. The only thing that I could barely hear was Flo's voice saying that Joyce Byer's had been calling the station all morning, and also telling him to hurry up and see her. I snapped out of the little trance, holding up my hand, telling him to stop speaking.

"Florence is telling you to go visit the Byer's residence. Joyce has been calling you all morning...You have other problems to deal with Chief, so when you're done solving those problems, you can come back to me and tell me why you need my help. Does that sound alright to you?" He couldn't get a word in edgewise because I was already making my way back inside the school. He also decided not to follow me, which was also a plus for me. I made my way back to the gym, realizing that my backpack was outside of the girls change room. 

"Those bitches," I muttered, pulling my shirt in front of me slightly, taking a deep breath in. The harsh scent of sweat slapped me across the face, a massive groan escaping my lips. I checked the gym seeing that the boys were still playing basketball, which gave me the opportunity to grab a brief shower before they were done their game. I picked up my backpack, looking over at the clock, noticing there were about ten minutes to spare. I made my way into the boys change room, pulling off my gym uniform and undergarments as fast as I could. I turned on the shower and retrieved my bath towel out of my bag, hanging it up on the hook before getting under the water. The cold water sizzled over my skin, as I dragged my hands across my raised flesh, the scarred tissue turning a light pink due to my warmth. The droplets dripped down my back, sliding down my legs, meeting the tiled floor beneath me. I felt myself get distracted from the task at hand as my hand traced the tissue on my smooth pale stomach. My mind slipping into a limbo of flashbacks, settling on the most disturbing one it could find.

_ "I have been witnessing you grow fourteen, but you're not making enough progress...I fear for the future." Brenner spoke, moving around the room. A helmet full of wires was strapped to my head as my eyes followed him slowly. My chest felt like it was going to implode inside of me like some sort of black hole. His lab coat swayed around him as he reached out and took a needle off one of the small tables, pressing down on the syringe. I gripped the armrests, restraining myself from fighting against him, as he made his way towards me, a small almost inhuman smile plastered across his face. The injection burned through my veins like my insides were melting into a puddle. Sweat immediately poured down my face like a waterfall, steam flowing off of me. From outside the enclosed room, I could hear the fire alarm go off, Brenner rushed out of the place as if the wall between us would shield him. Flames spun around me, the bright orange colour exploding throughout the room. I could feel myself being lifted off the ground, levitating above the chair that I had been sitting on moments before. The power surge was then extinguished, the sprinklers spewing water onto me, sizzling echoed throughout the room, and steam surrounded me. I fell back onto the chair, my body completely drained and out of breath, the helmet fell off as my face met the table. I could've been there for hours until I heard the microphone turn on.  
_

__

_"That was perfect Fourteen...Keep that up." Brenner's monotoned voice commented as I closed my eyes, wishing that this would all be over soon._

I stared at the white tiled floor, an acidic tear sliding down the side of my nose, my skin burning beneath it. I had tried to push those memories out of my mind, but I knew that they were buried in the back of my brain just waiting to make an appearance,  _which it successfully did._ I finished washing up, turning the water off with one little push. My body was already dried by the time I left the showering area, as my wet feet padded towards the change room. I pulled my high waisted shorts and dark green t-shirt on at lightning speed, knowing that anyone could randomly walk in on me stark naked at any time. I stared at myself briefly in the mirror, adjusting the fabric that laid flat against my skin. A light red line trailed down my nose, the acidic burn of the tear that had fallen down my face after my little episode. I took in a deep breath through my nose; the same small light began to fade into the mirror, just like before. This time I reached out to touch it, the yellow hue began to extend towards me, as if it was reaching out to me. I was just about to sink my hand into the light, but before I could the change room door swung open and slammed into the back wall, with the accompaniment of the loud, deep, alpha male voices, of my classmates. 

"Well well well, look at what we have here." Tommy H's voice bounced off the walls, causing me to look up into the corner of the reflection seeing that everyone was now looking at me, their eyes roaming over my body. I ignored the glares and proceeded to grab my bag off of the benches, pulling on my gloves as I walked by Steve, a brief look being exchanged.

"Hey Billy, I think your little girlfriend is stalking you." One of his friends teased, I got closer to Billy, noticing that he was staring at the burn that my tear had caused. As I moved by him, I slammed my shoulder against his arm, showing that I was still mad at him, before leaving the change room. 

The school day was dull, as usual, nothing happened that was out of the ordinary. Once the fifth-period bell rang, I escaped to the smokers alley to have a well-deserved cigarette, taking my pack out of the side pouch of my bag, placing it between my lips. My hands searched through my pockets, retrieving my lighter, that laid in the grave, cloth abyss. I ignited the flame, running it along the end of the cigarette, watching the nicotine scented smoke fade into the air within seconds. I took in a deep breath, putting my shimmering metal lighter away. Smoke jetted from my nose as I pulled it away from my lips, breathing the rest of the thick foggy air out of my mouth. I quickly took a few more puffs from the nicotine-laced stick, then stomped on it beneath my foot, rushing out of the alleyway so I wouldn't run into Billy once the final bell rang to end the day. 

Getting home to an empty house wasn't all that eventful, it was quite depressing, there wasn't a lot of stuff to do, it was either homework or watching television, and neither of them sounded good for me. Until the early evening, I took a small nap and woke up with a thick hunger for any sort of food that would provide sustenance. I settled on some leftover chicken that had been in the fridge for the past two days, and some white pasta that was also leftover from a few nights ago as well. It was bland, which wasn't a problem for me since I was used to eating bland food anyways. The rest of the night consisted of me catching up on the homework that I didn't do this afternoon, and then turning in to bed.  _Or so I thought at least._ I laid in my bed with my legs out from beneath the covers, staring up at the ceiling attempting to fall asleep. That's when I heard a thump come from my window, causing me to turn my head and stare at the massive shadow that was looming outside of the glass. The figure looked familiar, but I just couldn't put my finger on who it was. I got up from my bed, tiptoeing over to the window, fixing my shirt so it would be covering up my dark red underwear. I gripped the curtains and moved them back revealing Billy, who was purposely covering his face as if he had something to hide. A look of confusion appeared on my face as I unlocked the window, opening it up from the bottom.

"What are you doing here Billy?" I asked, watching him slip into my room carefully, his hand covering his face still.

"Tess...I'm not in the mood to fight with you. I have nowhere else to go." He murmured, his voice echoing through the darkness of the room. I stomped over to my lamp, turning it on with anger and confusion. The dim light entered the enclosed space, and now everything began to come together. Billy's usual white shirt had a fresh bloodstain on it like he had gotten it moments before he came to my house. My eyes trailed up to his face, seeing that he was still hiding the damage behind his hands. The only thing that I could see was his blue, rage-filled irises, shooting daggers at me. The whites of his eyes were bloodshot like he had been crying, and the remnants of dried tears stained his cheeks. 

"Turn off the light." He growled. 

"Take your hand off your face and maybe I will." I threatened, crossing my arms over my chest. 

"I said turn off the light." His voice began to rise in volume.

"Take your goddamn hand off your face, Billy," I demanded, the volume of my voice matching his. Finally, he pulled his hand off of his face revealing his bleeding nose, which was probably broken as well, and a large bruise that rested under his eye. My jaw dropped slightly, and I was frozen in my spot. His bloody hand rested beside him now, as we both looked at each other in silence. 

"Billy...What the fuck happened? Who did this to you?" He shook his head.

"I don't want to talk about it. Now please turn of-." 

"I'm not turning off the light until we get you cleaned up, and until I get some much-needed answers...Do you understand?" I snapped, causing him to flinch. "Now sit down, I'm going to go grab you an ice pack and a wet cloth." I left the room and went down to the kitchen taking a bag of frozen peas out of the freezer. I ran a cloth under some cold water and wrung it out so it wouldn't drip all over the place. I returned to my bedroom, closing the door behind me, which garnered Billy's attention. His face was now smeared with dry blood, trailing from his nose to his right cheek. I walked over to him and placed the peas and the cloth beside him. I could feel his eyes trail me, as I set my butt on the desk, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Now tell me what happened." He raised the bag of peas to his nose, laying it down on the small wound, his eyes closing tightly at the pain. I had never seen him like this at all. He was dead silent, and his blue irises were trained to the ground, not daring to look at me. 

"Tess...Can you please...Just turn off the light?" He pleaded desperately, his eyes meeting mine, glistening with tears. I closed my eyes, reaching behind me to grab my gloves, slipping them over my hands slowly, so he didn't notice. I reopened them, witnessing a tear slide down his cheek, turning a light red from the blood that was dried up on his face. I pushed myself off of the desk and moved towards him as if he was some sort of rabid animal. My hands were out in front of me, approaching him as gently as possible. His eyes followed my movements closely while I climbed onto the bed, turning off the light, letting the darkness engulf the both of us.

"Thank you." I gave him a small nod, standing up from the bed.

"I'll take the floor. When you're done with the peas and the cloth just put them on the bedside table, I'll take care of it in the morning." I informed him, pulling two extra comforters out of my closet. 

"Is it okay if you just sleep in here with me?" He asked. I paused, immediately tensing up at the proposition that he was making. My brain went into overdrive, not knowing what to say in this situation. My eyes glanced down at the dark blue comforters that were balled up in my arms, as I closed my eyes tightly, trying to judge whether it was safe or not.  _I don't know why I even had to think about what my answer was going to be, I don't like Billy like that, and even if I did, I wouldn't be able to act on it._ I turned my head, staring at the wall as I fought with my conscience. 

"I'm not going to do anything to you. We won't even be close to each other...I just want to know someone is there." I put my bottom lip between my teeth, putting the comforters back into the closet, before making my way over to the bed, seeing that he was already under the covers, with his back facing away from me. I looked outside, staring a the pale moon, while I pulled the sheets up and slid into the cold vacant spot next to him, staring at his toned back through his white t-shirt. 

"Good enough?" I asked, in a whispery voice.

"Yes." 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ITS BEEN TOO LONG SINCE I LAST UPDATED I'M SORRY!


	8. The Power of Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wooooow, it's been a while, I'm sorry! School has been interrupting my writing time, but I'm getting back on track. I hope you guys enjoy the chapter, and have a beautiful day (or night, or whenever you're reading this.)

The strong scent of smoke shook me awake, the nicotine-laced air dragging me out of my slumber, replacing the grogginess with the overpowering craving of a cigarette. I sprawled myself out on the bed, turning over onto my stomach, facing the large window of my room. My eyes fluttered open, seeing Billy sitting with his back on the frame. A giant cloud of smoke cascaded out of his mouth, making its way outside into the cold morning air. His lips were cracked and chapped, and from what I could see there was dried blood within the cracks. Billy's eyes shined and glimmered under warm sun that began to peak out from behind the looming grey clouds. He lifted the cigarette to his lips, closing his eyes as he breathed in deeply, the ashes turning a bright orange with the inhale. The smoke flowed out of the corners of his mouth, as his eyes looked over at me, realizing that I was looking directly at him already. He sits up and places his back on the window sill, his eyes locked on mine while he pulled to cigarette out from between his lips, exhaling harshly.

"Do you want one?" His voice was like gravel; rough and coarse, hard to the touch, and cold. I sat up, bunching the covers up, so I had something covering my body, which was shivering from the cold air that was entering my bedroom. He held the cigarette out to me, as I made my way over to him, taking it between my two fingers, his eyes scanned over me, and mine over him.

"...What?" I asked softly, feeling my face go red, a reflex that I was unable to control in these situations. He shook his head a little, shaking himself out of his trance, he cleared his throat.

"It's nothing..." I placed the cigarette between my lips, taking up space in front of him, letting my bare leg dangle outside the window. He took his lighter out, igniting the flame for me. I met him halfway, hovering the end over the light while breathing in, getting the bitter, dry taste of nicotine in my mouth. The smoke escaped from the corners of my mouth, as I turned my head to look outside. The wind blew across my cheeks, freezing the skin over, causing the pale white skin to go a bright red. I glanced over at him out of the corner of my eye, looking at the damage that his father had done to him last night. His lip was caked with dry blood, and his eye was swollen, a purple ring forming underneath his pale blue iris.

"You know...I'm not blind Tess; I see you staring at me. So will you please stop?"

"Why should I? You're the one that came to my house last night and asked to stay, and I let you. So the least you could do is tell me what the fuck happened to you last night!" The volume of my voice progressively raised in anger, as I slumped back against the window sill. He stayed quiet, forcing the smoke out of his mouth with a harsh exhale.

"Why do you care so much? You don't have to know every fucking detail of my home life, and you definitely don't share everything with me, so why should I share anything with you?" I rolled my eyes, tapping off the excess ash that was forming on the end of my cigarette, before taking a harsh drag, letting it burn my lungs freely, taking in the stinging sensation that it caused. The smoke jetted from my nose.

"I don't know what the hell you want me to tell you, Billy. Jesus Christ." I snapped. He squinted at me.

"Tell me why you've been fucking around with Steve Harrington." My eyebrows raised at his demeanour. Was the big bad Billy, dare I say, jealous?

"Maybe it's because he's not fucking angry all the time, and won't explode on me as you do to Max. Also, why the fuck do you care? It's none of your business anyways. I'm allowed to have other friends?" I took a deep drag from the cigarette, jumping at the sound of a car horn.

"...Speak of the devil." He mumbled under his breath, throwing his cigarette out the window. "Better get down there before I beat the living shit out of him." He growled. I bit my bottom lip, nearly drawing blood from the anger that boiled through me, as I got up from the window, throwing the duvet off my shoulders. My eyes darted to the ground, picking up a lone pair of shorts and pulling them on.

"You better be gone when I come back," I warned, putting my pack of cigarettes and my lighter into the tight back pocket.

"Yeah, yeah I'll be gone. Go suck Harrington's dick." He spat bitterly.

"Maybe I will." I retorted, slamming the door of my bedroom closed, before rushing down the stairs to meet Steve at his car. A look of confusion was plastered on his face as I hopped down the steps of my front porch while pulling on my shoes, motioning for him to get in the car.

"Why the hell are you here so early in the morning Harrington, do you not sleep?" I got into the passenger seat and buckled in the seatbelt, pulling it tight around me.

"I do sleep; I just need your help with something." He mumbled, putting the car into drive in one swift movement, I squinted at him, confused about what he was going to ask of me. There was complete silence until Steve pulled into town, and found a parking spot in front of a large, colourful and highly decorated flower shop. My eyes roamed over to him, with my eyebrows raised. Please please say yes. His voice rang through my head like a sonic screech, causing my entire body to wince.

"I swear Steve this better not be about Nancy, I will throw you right through the window." His eyes widened, and his cheeks flushed a crimson red, giving me a non-verbal answer. "Oh for Christ Sake Steve..."

"Come on Tess! I need to do something to get her back!" He blurted, as his poker face broke, and his emotions began to show up out of the woodwork. I could hear the desperateness in his asserted voice, and it took a lot of power to hold myself back from saying that he would never get Nancy back. His coffee-coloured eyes stared at me, waiting for a response or reaction from me, which I didn't provide. Instead, I let out an annoyed exhalation and unfastened my seatbelt, exiting the car and slamming the door.

I could feel his eyes watching my every move, as I slammed my hand on the front of the car, holding myself back from making a dent, or going straight through the helpless machine. In the windshield, I could see Steve's fearful expression painted permanently on his face, as he worked quickly to exit the car to see the damage I had done, which was nothing. He let out an exasperated sigh, running his hands through his hair in relief.

"Let's go in and buy some stupid flowers," I grumbled, moving towards the small flower shop, that looked so vast from a distance, but became smaller as I stepped closer to the entrance. An open sign hung loosely by a thread, generously welcoming regulars and the rare romantics. I held the door open for Steve as the both of us were smacked across the face with a beautiful scent of the various flowers that hung around the shop in cone baskets. Some of them were wrapped in different coloured papers that were fluorescent in the dim lighting. A woman came out from the back, with pop bottle glasses hanging on the bridge of her nose. Her lips were turned up in a broad, toothy smile.

"Good morning, is there anything I can help you with today?" I glanced over my shoulder at Steve, who fell silent.

"My friend here wants to get his ex-girlfriend back, do you have a simple bouquet of roses that are cheap enough so that he won't regret spending a ton of money on, but will look nice enough that if she does want to accept them, they won't wilt in an hour?" The florist, who is named Jean, glances at me, then behind me to look at Steve, then back at me. A moment of silence sat between the three of us. Always needs to embarrass me, it's like she goes out of her way to fuck up this stuff for me. I elbowed him in the stomach, hearing him take in a sharp breath.

"I can give you guys a discount off of a fifteen dollar bouquet, it's quite simple, but romantic at the same time. It will definitely be worth the price." Her tone was convincing enough for Steve to take the offer in a heartbeat. Anything for Nancy. Christ, he was such a wimp, and clearly too dependent on a girl who had recently kicked his heart in the ass. The first bouquet of blood red roses that Steve laid eyes on was chosen in a heartbeat, and we were out of the shop in a flash, with a bill of twelve dollars and sixty-five cents in hand, on bright white paper.

"I don't understand your thought process, Steve. Do you really think that giving Nancy roses will really win her back?" I asked honestly, hoping that he would see my viewpoint, or at least understand where I was coming from.

"She likes this type of romantic shit. Wouldn't you appreciate this if a guy did this for you?"

"Not after I confessed to him that our relationship was bullshit," I mumbled, noticing a somewhat shocked expression appeared on his face. "You know its true Steve."

"Maybe I do, but I don't give up that easily. I can't just give up on the relationship." I decided to stop talking, knowing that my advice won't help him in any way shape or form. Steve put the roses in the back seat, and we both entered the car to venture off to the Wheeler residence in silence. The only thing that could be heard apart from a pin dropping was the soothing falsettos of Freddie Mercury. She may have a point, but I'm allowed to try to get her back, it won't kill me if I make an attempt.

"Steve trying to get her back shows that you're not independent. You don't need Nancy, and she's definitely made a point that her love for you is non-existent. Come on...Be a man!" He stayed quiet, but his brain was definitely saying something completely different. Be a man? She goes from insulting my romantic gesture to insulting my manhood.

"It's not a romantic gesture, and I'm not intending to insult your 'manhood,' I'm just trying to make you see how desperate you're being." We come to a stop light as Steve turns his body to me.

"Are you reading my thoughts?!" I avoided his gaze, giving a light shrug. Once the light turned green Steve drove through, and pulled over on the shoulder of the street, putting on his hazards.

"We need to set some ground rules for you because if I can't even think by myself in my mind palace, I don't think we'll be able to be friends." I looked in the review mirror watching cars blow by us, sending leaves flying in opposite directions. "Tess, are you even listening?" Steve adds, interrupting my focus on the multi-coloured leaves that laid on the cracked concrete.

"Yes, I understand. I won't read your thoughts anymore unless I'm given permission. Does that work for you?" I asked, annoyed by his insistence.

"It does. Thank you." He replied, taking off his hazards and putting the car into drive, cautiously bringing the vehicle back onto the road. The winding road led us directly to Nancy's house and got us there in under ten minutes. He came to a screeching stop on the street, right beside a blue and red 'Regan Bush '84' sign.

A boy who looked to be about thirteen, wearing a red, white, and blue hat with a headset sitting on top of the material. His curly light brown hair poked out from the sides, and he seemed like he was in a rush, picking up his bike in one quick movement. I could see him stop and stare at the car, and before I could say anything to Steve, he was already outside, quickly fixing his hair before making his way towards the house. I focused on him, listening in to the dialogue he was saying to himself.

"Listen. I've been thinking I love you, I'm sorry." He paused for a moment shaking his head, "I'm sorry? What the hell am I sorry for?" Finally, he's realized. The boy then interrupts his train of thought.

"Steve! Are those for Mr or Mrs. Wheeler?" A look of confusion appears on his face, glancing over at the house.

"No." He replies, and right before he could ask why the boy rips the roses from him. "Hey!" He exclaims, his body turning to watch the boy. We make eye contact briefly. "What the hell? Hey!" Steve shouts, the boy stood beside the back section of the car, turning to face him.

"Nancy isn't home." He informs, opening up the door, letting the crisp cold air flow into the tight space of the car, giving me the chance to truly listen to the conversation instead of using my distinct listening capability.

"Where is she?"

"Doesn't matter, we have bigger problems than your love life." He responded, turning on his heel, "Do you still have that bat?" The boy asks. A look of confusion appeared on Steve's face as if he was trying to grasp what he was asking.

"Bat? What bat?" I could tell the boy was getting frustrated.

"The one with the nails." That's when everything connected in his mind, but things were still confusing for him, I could tell by the look on his face.

"Why?" He asks as the boy threw the bouquet of roses into the back of the car, causing the air to be polluted with the strong perfume and pollen that the silky flowers held.

"I'll explain on the way." He replies getting into the back seat. My eyes flicker up to the review mirror, seeing the boy looking out the window at Steve, who was still standing on the Wheeler's lawn.

"Now?"

"Now!" The boy yelled, slamming the door closed. Well, this is going to be entertaining.


	9. Hunter and The Hunted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOOOOOOOW, two days in a row. I'm hoping to get another one out later tonight, or tomorrow.

We drove down the street, and just before turning onto the long winding road to the boy's house I had the urge to go home for some reason. Maybe it was my sixth sense telling me something was wrong, or perhaps I just had to check if Billy was gone or not; in case he decided to rummage through my belongings.

"Stop at my house before we go." He nodded, getting onto the road. I could feel the boy's eyes burning a hole in the back of my head, so I decided to introduce myself.

"I'm Tesla or Tess for short." I held my gloved hand out to him and turned my body, so I was facing him. He took my hand and gave it a shake, introducing himself as well.

"Dustin." He replied. The handshake only lasted for a few seconds, and then broke apart soon after. I tried to keep my eyes off of him but sadly did not succeed in doing so, getting sucked into his mind, and converging with a memory, latching onto it like a leech.

_"Hold on; we're almost there, we're almost there." Dustin was carrying Eleven, who looked like she was on the brink of dying. Her body hung limply in his arms, the only sign of life was her faint breathing. There were two other boys with him, but I couldn't see their faces. It was like I was looking through a blurry tunnel, and the only thing I could see was her, in a faint pink dress, and a plaid shirt. Dustin put her down on one of the lab benches, and she turned to the side looking away from him._

_"Just hold on a little longer okay? He's gone, the bad man's gone. We'll be home soon, and my mom...She'll get you your own bed, and you can eat as many eggos as you want." I could see a small smile appear on her face, and her eyes were filling with tears. "And...We can go to the snowball." She stared at the blurry figure that was talking, gripping his hand just a little tighter. Gunfire faintly echoed through the room._

_"Promise?" Her voice whispered,_

_"Promise." The boy replied, making her lips turn up into a faint smile. Then a loud, monstrous roar interrupted them._

Steve nudged me, snapping me out of my trance. He knew Eleven; that means he's the one that took care of her and protected her, he must know where she is. (It) I gulped all my built up saliva, and turned back, facing the windshield. I closed my eyes, wiping a stray tear that fell down my cheek, burning the skin beneath it.

The house was relatively close to Dustin's, so it didn't take too long to make it to my place. Steve parked on the road and sighed, sitting back in his chair.

"You think he's still in there?" He asked, staring out the window. I shrugged.

"If he is he is if he isn't, he isn't," I replied, unbuckling my seat belt, stepping out of the car.

"If I'm not out in ten minutes, come in," I instructed, slamming the door behind me. The cold fall air surrounded my pale legs, as I stepped towards the house, slipping the house keys out of my pocket. My stomach flipped, as a shiver ran up my spine, it was as if my senses were on the brink of being out of my control. I unlocked the door quickly and stepped in, closing it behind me.

"Billy? Are you still here?" I called out, walking toward my living room. The silence gave me an answer, but I still couldn't comprehend why it felt like I was going to explode out of my own body. I tiptoed to the kitchen, and before I could even take a step into the room, I heard the echo of metal hitting metal, like a gun being loaded.

"Hands up Fourteen." Immediately I did as I was told, holding them high above my head, with my hands splayed out, so the man knew I wasn't carrying anything. I closed my eyes, focusing on the environment around me, sensing that there were eight men, with their weapons, pointed directly at my back, "Turn around slowly." I opened my eyes and twisted around on my heel, facing the men who were holding me up.

"We've been looking everywhere for you Fourteen, every nook and cranny of the city...You've caused quite a lot of problems." The man, who I now identified as Saul, spoke, holding the tranquillizer gun up in front of him like it was going to protect him. I took in a short breath, thinking of all the ways I could escape from this situation without hurting anyone, which was ultimately impossible.

Saul was one of the associates from the lab and worked closely with me. He conducted most of the violent tests to gauge how strong my powers were becoming, and he was the person who authorized all the injections, which in turn created the mutation in my bloodstream. I had a sweet craving for revenge, and today was the day I satisfied it.

"You're not made to be exposed to these people, and you have no reason to be here. We're taking you back to the labs whether you're dead or alive...I highly recommend not putting up a fight." I clenched my jaw, biting the inside of my cheek as hard as I could. My hands closed into a fist, and I brought my arms down, letting them rest on my sides. Saul and all of his companions stared, exchanging glances at one another.

"If you want to take me, why don't you just come over here and do it," I stated, clenching my fists tighter and tighter, feeling the fabric of my gloves dissipate, yet I held the material against my hands still, making sure they didn't notice that I had burned it off. In one small movement of Saul's head, his men began to make his way over to me, with their guns raised and pointed at me as if they thought shooting in my direction would work.

Once they got relatively close to me, I threw my gloves off and grabbed one of the men's arms, pulling him towards me before twisting his arm behind his back and ripping the gun from his grip, burning his hand in the process. He let out a shrill scream as I threw him into one of the men who was closing in on me, knocking them both down. Saul watched with his wicked eyes as I disarmed all the men with great force, hoping in the back of my mind that none of their injuries were life-threatening. Once everyone was either down on the ground or groaning in pain, I stood in the middle of the mess, letting my gaze flicker over to Saul, who looked somewhat impressed. He threw his gun off to the side.

"Oh Fourteen, my oh my...Your powers are divine, but you and I both know that this will not end well for you." His voice was assertive, but at the same time, I could tell he doubted himself. In his mind, he was playing out how he could take me down, but all of the thoughts ended with me winning the battle. "You think you can win...But you can't. You're weak Fourteen, and you'll only become weaker. You need to come home; playtime is over." He began to walk towards me, at an alarmingly slow pace.

"You sure you can take me, Saul, I don't think you want to bark up this tree...We're not in the labs anymore. You have no control over what I can and can't do to you." Saul rolled his sleeves up, cuffing them at his elbow.

"I'll always be stronger." He retorted, rushing towards me with an unnatural speed in his step. Immediately his hand collided with my chest, with a hard open palm. The force caused me to stumble off to the side, regaining my balance by leaning against the nearest wall. His graceful movements reflected a predator stalking his prey, his eyes glowing with fiery anger. This time I made an advancement towards him, inching closer to him. His hand sprung up to connect with my body, yet he missed, I was too fast for him. Another swing towards me, and I could feel his skin graze mine, nearly connecting with my cheek. I was so distracted by his attempts to get in a knockout punch, that when he kicked me in my shin, I knew I had made a terrible misstep.

His hand wrapped around my neck and turned my body away from him, so my back was pressed up against his chest. The tips of his gloved fingers dug into my jugular, and my breath hitched in my throat. His grip tightened, causing my body to tense up, feeling a burning sensation in my stomach. My hands reached up and wrapped around his forearm, trying to push myself away from his grip.

"Do you feel that Fourteen? Do you feel the air leaving your body? Hm?" He whispered, squeezing even harder, as I tried breathing in. My eyes watered, while black dots began to appear in my line of sight, I started to pull myself toward the closest wall, feeling the energy drain from my body slowly, like pouring molasses down a sink. If I didn't make it to the wall, I would be dead by the time I got there. Beads of sweat began to pour from the sides of my head, steam escaping from the pores in my skin, a pain rocking through my body as if I was being possessed.

"Any last words Fourteen, maybe a goodbye?" I shook my head, closing my eyes tightly.

"F-Fuck...Y-Y." I couldn't even form the sentence before all the power in me exploded through my body, in an attempt to save myself. It was a sudden jolt of electricity that pumped through my veins, adrenaline pulling me from my demise. I hopped up pulled myself to the wall and kicked myself off from it, sending the both of us flying through the window. Glass shattered around us, and flames engulfed me as if it was a shield to protect me from the razor-sharp shards. We landed in the front yard, Saul being a cushion for me.

His grip left from around my neck, and my brain had deemed him alive, but unconscious.

"HOLY SHIT!" Dustin screamed, as him and Steve exited the car, running towards me. My eyes shot open, and the cloudy sky hung above me. I coughed loudly, taking a sharp gasp for air, never being so grateful for oxygen. Steve came into my line of sight, a panicked look on his face, as his eyes roamed over me. He was about to reach out to touch my skin, but I flinched.

"Don't touch me, you moron!" I scolded, causing him to move back onto his heels. In the background, I could hear Dustin trying to make sense of the situation.

"She was a ball of flames...A real ball of fire. How is that possible? How the hell did this happen? Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god." His footsteps crushed the grass beneath his feet, as he paced back and forth.

"Dustin just calm the hell down for just one second okay?" Steve snapped, looking at the man that laid beside me, then back to me. I let out a long exhale, witnessing smoke dissolve into the air above me.

"Tess...We need to move this guy off your lawn; you can't leave him out here for the whole world to see." I sat up, dusting the grass off my back, noticing that there were holes in the fabric of my clothes.

"You think people won't notice us carrying a body into the house?" I retorted.

"Not if we move it in right now, so let's hurry up and do this." He stood up and instead of holding his hand out to me, he just lifted me from under my arms, planting my feet on the ground.

"STEVE WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!" I grabbed Saul by his legs, and Steve held him from beneath his arms. We worked quickly to bring him into the house and put him down at the door.

"Holy shit, how many people were in here?!"

"A lot," I replied, walking up the stairs to change out of my torn up clothes. I opened my bedroom door and nearly fainted at the sight that I had laid my eyes on.


	10. Lina

 The room was ransacked. The drawers of my desk were thrown on the floor, all my papers and information that Lina had given to me just in case anything had happened to her. I rushed in and picked up the papers, turning them over to read the Romalian type that sat on the paper. All the information slapped me in the face, my panic ensued, the uncertainty of who might've went through my room, knowing that if it was Billy, he would still be in the room waiting for me. So it must've been Saul right? It had to be Saul. I glanced over at my closet, seeing a long crack, splitting down the center, glowing a bright yellow, small specks of light drifting off from the wallpaper. I could hear screaming, cries for help, a name being called, but I couldn't make it out. My chest rose and fell in a rushed pace, fear creeping up on me, scorching hot acid burning the insides of my stomach, but I couldn't help but crawl towards the light, somehow entranced by it.

 "PLEASE HELP ME!" It was Lina. I almost jumped into my closet like a madwoman, yelling and screaming with desperation.

 "LINA! LINA I'M HERE!" Suddenly there was one last, horrific scream, and the crack disappeared in an instant. My eyes watered with tears, all of them trailing down my cheeks, how long had she been down there?! There was no way she would be able to survive any longer down there...I fell back, leaning on my legs, losing all feeling in my body, before falling down onto the hardwood. I closed my eyes tightly, and yelled, causing the house to shake throughout the duration of the sonic screech that I was emitting. Then I stopped, everything stopped, I just laid there, holding myself in my own arms, trying to compose myself, and regain my ability to think, and control myself. Loud, booming footsteps came towards me as my bedroom door swung open with Steve standing in the doorway, looking upon the mess in my room. There was another accompanying set of footsteps, as I closed my eyes tightly, biting down on my lip.

 "Jesus Christ Tess...What happened?" Steve tiptoed into the room and crouched down beside me, looking down at me with concern. I didn't look at him, it was as if I was paralyzed, not being able to move my arms or my eyes. I thought maybe I was going into shock but I felt like I was going to melt into the ground at the same time. Steve leaned down so he was face to face with me, as his eyes searched mine, his pupils shimmered and a look of horror shook throughout him "Tess...Your eyes." I couldn't care less about my eyes right now, Lina could be dying for all I know and the only thing I could do is lay here. I could open up a gate, I would do anything to save her, but I knew that there was a very slim chance of succeeding, and there would be consequences to my actions.

 "Steve...I don't like this. I really don't like this Steve." Dustin panicked. My ears tuned into the sound of a car screeching, coming to a halt. Steve immediately looked up from me, staring at the window. We both knew who it was. I had no energy to get up and move, and it left us with no choice but to try and hide from him. If Billy came in and saw those bodies...I don't know what he would do, but I know that it wouldn't be a calm reaction nor would he be able to keep it a secret. Steve muttered obscenities under his breath, as he stood up and tucked his hands under my arms, dragging me into the closet. 

 "Get in there Dustin, and be quiet." He whispered. The fearful boy joined me in the closet as Steve closed the doors on us, our eyes adjusting to the pitch black space. The musky scent encompassed our nostrils, a mixture of stale perfume, and a smokey scent like somebody had blown out a candle and the smoke was just continuously flowing off the wick. From downstairs I could hear Billy's footsteps exploring the main level, his heartbeat was stable, but his curiosity was ripping through him. I pulled myself forward, peeking out of the small even cracks that the closet door had. Steve stood in front of the closet in a sort of over exaggerated attack position, as the both of us began to hear Billy's monstrous footsteps coming up the stairs. My heart was racing, out of fear of knowing the damage Steve might take from this encounter, and from the sheer fact that all those bodies were on the main level and we didn't even attempt to hide them. We were screwed in the most indefinite way, and I had no solution to get out of it. 

 "What the hell are you doing here Harrington? Where's Tess?" Billy growled, walking towards him, Dustin and I both sat there looking through the cracks, staring at the heavily built Billy, who looked like the big boss battle at the end of a video game. I could feel the bile in my stomach bubble, as I listened to Steve's heart pick up it's pace. He was scared, and there was no way of getting out of this situation, no matter how hard he tries, unless he jumped out the window of course, but that would come with a whole other slew of problems. 

 "I came to see if she got home safely, which...I don't think she did..." He replied. Billy stared at him. his footsteps creeping up, closer and closer to the closet, and towards Steve. I heard a loud crack come from behind us, the familiar yellow light blinding the both of us. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a hand reach out and grab Dustin's ankle, causing him to let out a shrill. Instantly I grabbed his covered arm, pulling him in the opposite direction that the hand was pulling. From outside of the closet Billy and Steve began to argue about the noise that just came out of the closet as I told Dustin to be quiet and not to panic, that I had him and I wasn't going to let go. Somehow he trusted me enough to shut up, but the damage was already done, Billy had heard, and he was starting to fume with anger, his fists clenched and his body tense.

 "What have you done to her? Where is she?" He pushed Steve against the closet door, an abrupt bang echoing throughout the enclosed space, both Dustin and I flinched, as I pulled harder trying to yank his leg out from the iron grip. Through the cracks, I could see Steve pull himself back up, keeping himself in front of the door. Steve and Billy stood at the same height, the both of them locked in a stare down. Another push, this time it sounded worse, like all the air had been knocked out of Steve's body, and like before he got up. Yet another push and this time a large crack split down the center of the cheap closet door. It took Steve a little longer this time to pull himself back up, but he successfully got onto his feet, struggling to regain his balance, moving from one foot to the other. Billy pushed him harder against the closet door, but this time he held him there, throwing a few punches to his stomach, connecting each time, investing more force with each impact. One last punch was thrown, and I swear I could feel it in my stomach, as Steve let out a grunt. Finally I pulled Dustin out of the grip, and the gate closed, giving me my cue to open the closet door.

 Billy's eyes laid on me, as I got out of the enclosed space. I caught sight of Steve first, who was curled up on the ground holding his stomach in pain. He was trying to form a sentence but nothing was coming out due to his loss of breath. My eyes raised to Billy, and I could feel the rage flow through me, running through my veins, straight to my palms.

 "What the fuck are you doing Billy?" His eyes widened at the sight of me, and I had remembered what Steve said about my pupils, He had caught me. He knows...

 "Holy...Holy shit." My hand instantly shot up, pushing him up against the wall with all the force that I had, holding him there as I struggled to stand up. The muscles in my body flinching from all the energy that was being drained from the tips of my fingers. Billy moved around, struggling against the weight that was being pushed onto him, keeping his back on the wall. 

 "Tess, stop!" Steve exclaimed, as I made my way towards Billy, seeing his eyes full of fear once I stopped in front of him. 

 "You're not going to get away with this Tess. People are going to find out." He growled. I leaned up, our noses almost touching. I could feel his breath hitting my skin, coming out in a rapid pace, as his eyes searched mine. 

 "Nobody will believe you Billy. Nobody." I whispered, letting my pores release the familiar blue sleeping agent into the air, making sure that it surrounded him. His erratic breathing began to slow down, and his head lulled to the side, signifying that he was knocked out cold, and he would be for a while. I snapped out of my trance and let him go, causing him to slide down the wall, slamming down onto the ground. My body felt weightless from all this drainage and use of power. I felt like I needed to sleep, but this was not the time to do so. Liquid poured down my face as I wiped my cheeks, seeing that both Dustin and Steve were staring at me, watching, but not truly seeing what I was doing. I pulled my hand away, seeing blood smeared across my palm, laying on the cracks of my hands. _Maybe that was why._

"We need to move these bodies...Then we need to see what Dustin wanted to show us." I stated, tiredly, like nothing had happened, as I took my t-shirt off and changing in front of them without a care in the world in that moment. I only knew that today just wasn't going to be my day, and I didn't know when things would be going back to being relatively normal. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed the new chapter.


	11. Steve's House

"Wait a sec...How big?" Steve asked as I glanced out the window, looking upon the night sky that loomed above us, gripping my bloodied tissues tightly against my nose which hadn't managed to stop bleeding for the past couple of hours. Dustin looked over at him, holding up his hand, showing us the distance between his thumb and pointer finger.  
  
"First he was like this..." He motioned, looking at Steve with all real seriousness, then he expanded the distance by using his other hand to show that he had grown almost four times his original size "Now he's like this." I could see Steve's eyes widen, then somehow contort back into his laid-back attitude, like he was in denial.  
  
"I swear to God man, he's just some little lizard, okay?" He commented, keeping his eyes on the road, as the car caressed the natural curve of the street.  
  
"He's not a lizard!" Dustin exclaimed adamantly, turning towards him. I looked between them, wiping the fresh blood that dripped out of the tear ducts of my eyes.

  
"Guys will you pl-" I was interrupted.

  
"Well, how do you know?" Steve retorted.

  
"How do I know that it's not a lizard?"

   
"Yeah, how do you know that it's not just a lizard!?" Steve asked. 

  
"Cause his face opened up, and he ate my cat." My eyes widened, but Steve sat stoic, glancing out the window as if he still didn't believe him. I did though, I could feel that he was telling the truth, and there was no way he would be lying about this because I knew exactly what he was talking about. I decided not to say anything, letting the three of us sit in silence, listening to Freddie Mercuries soaring vocals in 'Hammer to Fall.' Steve turned into Dustin's driveway, parking behind what I assumed was his mothers' car before all three of us got out of the vehicle simultaneously. Steve and Dustin made their way to the trunk of the car, as I wiped my nose and eyes again, taking my pack of cigarettes out of my pocket, lighting it with my hand, breathing in the nicotine-laced leaves, satisfying the craving in an instant. I watched Steve pull out the baseball bat that Dustin was talking about, my eyes observing the old wood that held several nails inside of it, poking through the surface. They exchanged glances, before Steve slammed the trunk shut, glancing up at me, noticing the bloodied tissue in my hand, but not saying it aloud.

  
"You're backing me up." He pointed at me, motioning for me to follow him and Dustin. I huffed, throwing the cigarette to the ground, stomping down on it with the heel of my foot, as the both of them began to make their way to the side of the house, a flashlight guiding us towards an in-ground cellar, which had a lock on it, and a bright red door covering what was inside. I stood beside Dustin, observing Steve leaning forward, tilting his head to the side and slanting in, as if he was listening for something. 

  
"I don't hear shit." Dustin glanced over at me, and the both of us exchanged glances.

  
"He's in there." Steve looked over his shoulder, then back to the cellar, as he leaned forward, giving the hollow metal door a tap with the end of the bat. Nothing. He stood there for another moment, before slamming the bat down onto the door, a loud boom echoing through the room below the ground. A quick moment of silence flowed through us before Steve turned to Dustin, shining the bright white light into his eyes, causing him to squint. 

  
"Listen, kid; if this is some sort of Halloween prank, you're dead."

  
"It's not-"

 

"Alright?"

  
"It's not a prank, now get it out of my face." Dustin insisted. Steve stopped for a moment, and sighed, looking over at me.

  
"Open it up." He motioned, pointing towards the lock. I sniffled, tasting blood on my tongue, before moving towards the lock that hung on the handles. I quickly wiped my eyes that were shielding my sight, ridding the thick, viscous red liquid that blinded me temporarily. I focused on the chain, closing my eyes, hearing a quick snap, the sound of an object hitting the grass snapping me out of my trance. I exhaled, and stepped back, watching Steve crouch down, pulling open both cellar doors, both Dustin and I standing behind him. He shined the flashlight into the room below, a long concrete staircase leading down beneath the ground.

   
"He must be further down there." Dustin pointed out, "I'll stay up here in case he tries to...Escape." Steve glanced over his shoulder and looked at him, scoffing loudly. 

  
"You're coming." He said, pointing at me, as he made his way down the flight of stairs, me following behind closely, listening to Steve cursing under his breath, asking himself about why he agreed to do this. The flashlight was the only form of light that was aiding us in seeing the contents in the room. I breathed in a toxic, acidic scent that ran through the room, as Steve pulled on the light fixture turning it on, the chamber being engulfed in brightness, so everything was able to be seen. Steve glanced around until a pile of opaque, slimy material caught our eyes. Steve poked his bat into the collection, and pulled it up, as the both of us exchanged a confused look. 

  
"Fuck," Steve whispered, motioning to something that he had seen behind me. I followed to where he was pointing his flashlight towards, seeing a large gaping hole inside the wall. "Oh fuck." He repeated.

  
"Steve? Steve? What's going on down there?" Dustin's voice echoed, grabbing our attention instantly. Steve stomped over to the bottom of the stairs, scaring Dustin in the process.

  
"Get down here." He demanded, turning his attention back to me, as I stepped closer to the hole, wiping my nose and eyes with the wet tissue. I heard his footsteps coming down the stairs slowly until he came into my line of sight. Steve held his bat up.

  
"Oh shit." He sounded breathless, staring at the pile of sludge that hung off the edge of the baseball bat, dripping with an unknown liquid, creating a puddle on the concrete ground, as he pointed towards the large hole in the wall that the 'lizard' had formed, moving towards it slowly with Dustin and I following close behind. 

  
"No way," Dustin whispered as if the whole situation that we found ourselves in was so surreal to him. He touched the brick that surrounded the hole as if he was checking to see if it was real or not and then turned back to us.

  
"We need to find him ASAP!" Steve dropped the sludge off of the bat, thinking about what we could do, placing his hands on his hips throughout his thought process.

  
"We can't do it right now kid. Your mother is going to get worried, and I know you think that right now it's go-."

  
"Steve it's growing. That's...That's its skin. I knew that scent from somewhere, and I've pieced it together, this thing needs to be found ASAP." I interrupted, backing Dustin up, wiping my eyes and nose, with the now unrecognizable tissue. He pointed at me.

  
"You need rest. We all do. We'll meet back here tomorrow and plan what we're going to do, but for now, we need to call it a night. Today has been too hectic to pull an all-nighter trying to find something that could kill us." He explained.

  
"But we have her! She has fire and flames, and she's crazy. We can find him tonight!" 

  
"Dustin, she's bleeding from her fucking eyes. The least you can do is wait, and she'll still be here tomorrow, she just needs to recharge. We'll be back here tomorrow." He stated, motioning for Dustin and I to start making our way upstairs.

 

  
We left Dustin's house, and rushed down the road, the both of us sitting in silence, with only the roaring of the engine and the faint harmonies of Queen radiating in the background.

  
"Do you want to stay at my house tonight?" He asked, turning the wheel slowly with the shape of the road. I glanced out the window, at the dark, gloomy trees that rushed by my vision.

  
"I can't really stay at my house...So I guess you're my last resort." I mumbled.

  
"Wow. Thanks." Steve replied, sarcastically, booting down the road, I didn't think to say anything as we made our way to his house, staying silent the entire time. He pulled into the empty driveway of his large home, and took the keys out of the car, the both of us stepping into the fresh night air, the lights turning automatically from the movements we made. Steve found his house key and unlocked the front door, letting me enter first.

  
"Where are your parents?" He shrugged.

  
"Don't know. Don't really care. Chances are they'll be home in the morning though." He explained, stepping in behind me, taking his muddy shoes off, and placing them onto the rough, black carpet. I did the same, watching him walk up the stairs. I stood there, assuming that he was going to get something, only to be questioned by him.

  
"You just going to stand there? Follow me." I flinched and began to do as he said, walking up the wooden stairs of the house that looked almost like an expensive cottage. He didn't say much as we got to his room. He pushed the door open and motioned for me to go on in. Immediately I was hit with several memories, just by walking in I could hear voices, mostly his and Nancy's, it was as if I was being brought back to a moment in time when they were somewhat happy with each other, before the loss of their friend happened, but I tried my best not to pry, holding myself back from being immersed in the image. _I was already weak as it is, there was no way I would be able to see anything fully._

 _  
_ "Are you alright?" He asked, looking over at me as he opened his closet, taking out some shirts and a pair of gym shorts from school. I cleared my throat and nodded, tasting iron in my mouth once again, "The washroom is just down the hall, you should give your face a rinse, it looks a little stained." He commented, turning his back towards me as he opened the blinds, a silhouette surrounding him. I gathered the clothes that he had taken out, and closed the door behind me, making my way to the bathroom, turning on the light only to be struck by my horrific image. I instantly saw my eyes, and within a second I leaned forward, staring into my pupils, which had broken it's ordinarily round shape. It was as if the colour had exploded out of the iris and invaded the white area. My cheeks were stained with bright red streaks that were dark and almost dried. I found a spare cloth, rinsing it under some cold water, before putting some pressure on my skin so I could remove the dried blood, a small sigh escaping my lips. I pulled the washcloth away, seeing that I had stained it with the blood, I breathed in through my nose, smelling the sharp scent of iron in the air. I finished washing up, and then pulled on Steve's spare gym shirt, and shorts, gathering my dirty clothes in my arms, shuffling back to his room. I gave a warning knock before entering, noticing that he was staring at himself in a long mirror that showed his entire reflection. Within the moonlight I could see the damage that Billy had done to him, observing the bright purple bruises that had gathered on his stomach and sides. He glanced over at me, and sighed, pulling on a t-shirt to cover himself up.

  
"Billy really did a number on you." He squinted, taking a few blankets out from his closet, along with an extra pillow.

  
"Yeah...What do you see in him again?" He inquired, causing me to raise my eyebrows.

  
"I don't see anything in him." 

  
"Let me rephrase that then...Why are you his friend?" I bit my cheek and shrugged, taking a seat on the foot of his bed. 

  
"Sometimes he's fine...He's never been this violent, he's kind of competitive, but he takes everything like it'll be the end of the world if things don't go his way. From what I've seen and observed, and from what I've collected, his father isn't that nice of a person. He's a man's man, he wants to hold down the house, and for Billy, it's like a threat for some reason. He's got a bunch of issues." Steve leaned against one of his dressers; his arms crossed over his chest.

  
"And you think you can save him?" I tilted my head to the side.

  
"I don't." I replied blatantly, watching him wince and hold his stomach "But I know that I can't stop being his friend now that he knows about my powers..." Steve nodded a quick shift of silence overcoming the both of us. He glanced over at me, sighing.

  
"Do you want to take the bed?" I shrugged, shaking my head.

  
"I don't really sleep too much, so it doesn't really matter if I sleep on the floor..." I grabbed the covers placing them down on the floor, seeing that he was still in pain, just by his facial expression. 

  
"Show me your stomach." He glanced over at me, a look of confusion on his face, glancing down at his shirt, contemplating. 

  
"Fine." He gave in, lifting his shirt, showing the dark purple bruises that laid on his skin. Out of instinct, I reached out, but Steve moved back "Are you crazy? You want to put a burn on top of all this?" He exclaimed. I rolled my eyes, staring at the palm of my hand.

  
"I don't just scorch people Steve. It's not how you think it works." 

  
"Then how does it work." I traced my palm.

  
"When I was in the lab, the chemicals reacted together, but the way they blended together caused one to be stronger than the other." I reached down and lifted my shirt up exposing the several scars on my stomach that were caused by battle tests that were conducted on me throughout the duration of my stay at the labs. His eyes widened, staring at the bright red scars, placing his vision back onto me. "They noticed that I was able to heal fast, but they didn't want that, they couldn't find a purpose for it, so they gave me a heavier dose, hoping that it would override it, which at the end...It did. But. I'm still able to do it. They thought it was gone, but I was already in too deep to completely get rid of it." Steve stared at me, as I let my shirt drop to cover my stomach. "Now trust me. I can do it...I just need to be sure I take my hand off when it's done healing, or else you're going to be left with third-degree burns." He took a step forward.

  
"Guess it's worth a shot." He whispered under his breath. I reached out, splaying his hand across his skin. I felt his muscles tense up, a hiss escaping his mouth.

  
"You okay?" He nodded, his eyes clenching.

  
"It's a little bit uncomfortable...It's...Cold if that makes any sense." He described as I dragged my hand over another part of his stomach, "It's bizarre..."

  
"What is?" I mumbled, focusing on getting rid of the bruises.

  
"The fact that you have all these powers, and stuff, and you're able to control them like what you're doing right now, yet you choose to settle on being the temperature of the sun." I rolled my eyes.

  
"Believe me, if I were able to control it I would love to be able to not worry about touching someone. It's a rare occasion when my body can do this and change the temperature. It's like the chemicals have a mind of their own." I explained, pulling my hand away from his stomach, seeing that all the bruises were now gone. 

  
"You think they would ever find a cure?" He asked, curiously, as I got up from the foot of the bed, transferring myself onto the ground. 

  
"Not unless they get people that are trustworthy and experienced in the field of this type of laboratory work." I slipped under the blanket, pulling it on top of me, as I heard Steve move into his bed. 

  
"If they did figure it out though...Would you take it?" He asked. I stared up at his ceiling, running my hand over the soft duvet.

  
"I don't know..."   
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed this chapter.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter of this story! I'm really excited to write this! I would love to hear your thoughts about it! :) Thanks for reading! :)


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